Masdar City roads are chosen for the first trial of driverless cars later next year. Government’s £28 billion road strategy is unveiled by ministers as they plan to test the technology. Researchers have been working with Nissan on the technology. A private road on Science Park is already tested by the team but now the department of transport has also granted permission to conduct trials on the road with other vehicles. As a safety precaution a backup driver will be in the car although the cars are autonomous.
Lightly used rural and suburban roads are chosen for the initial trial. The cars already have array of collision avoidance system. Underpinning the trials is the belief that cars can be made even safer. A Nissan Leaf is conformed by the researchers. Although the driver can take control by tapping on the brakes, the robot car is capable of running on a predetermined familiar route. A pledge to pump another £500 million into electric vehicles and the trials of the driverless cars are the foundation of the strategy. Major roads widening and resurfacing will also be planned by the government to cut traffic noise. Plans to protect the spending pledge by introducing legislation to make the six year commitment legally binding on whoever is in power after the next election will also be unveiled.
Many envisage a future when we may not own cars at all but simply hail one to fulfil all our transportation needs. It will radically change the amount of energy we use, how congested our streets are and eliminate most of the parking lots that take up a huge amount of space in the cities. With the above move UAE wants to be a leader in the world market of Autonomous cars.
