Abu Dhabi: If you’re visiting Saadiyat and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi during Eid Al Adha, add a trip of discovery and excitement by trying one of the self-driving vehicles, called “Txai” (not a typo error).
The Integrated Transport Center (ITC) announced on Thursday (June 29) that visitors to Saadiyat and Yas Island during the Eid Al Adha holiday can take advantage of the completely free self-driving vehicle service.
This service, initially launched as a trial on Yas Island in November 2021, ensures a unique journey with high standards of safety and security, ITC said.
During the trials, a set of TXAIs offered free, driverless transport between specified locations on Yas Island. The vehicles could be hailed through a smartphone app, and trained safety officers were present during each trip.
In October last year, ITC launched phase 2 of the smart mobility project on Yas Island and Saadiyat in coordination with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and in cooperation with Bayanat and the G42 Group.
https://twitter.com/ITCAbuDhabi/status/1578294893616959488?
The initial trial of five autonomous electric and hybrid taxis kicked off by operating a route of nine stops on Yas Island.
Additionally, it was revealed that Bayanat, one of the project's partners, has completed mapping "the entire UAE" in conjunction with the ITC and G42.
“This project symbolises the aspirations and vision of our wise leadership towards the future and its constant quest to improve the quality of life, serve the community better and support the foundations of sustainable development,” ITC stated in a tweet.
The ITC's Smart Mobility Project aims to revolutionise transportation first on Yas and Saadiyat before expanding to the rest of Abu Dhabi and the world, and includes the buses as part of a much wider initiative to increase the effectiveness and environmental impact of how we get around town.
Collaboration
The autonomous taxis were launched in collaboration with the emirate’s transport regulators, the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), and Miral, an Abu Dhabi-based real estate and investment firm.
The software and hardware solutions for the vehicles was provided by WeRide, Level 4 autonomous driving technologies developer.
