The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that it has won the best public-private project award during the Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference held in the Dubai World Trade Centre
The RTA won for the Dubai Code of Practice for Self-Driving Vehicles project, which will be implemented by the end of 2019.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said that the award reflected RTA’s commitment to transform 25 per cent of mobility journeys into self-driving journeys by 2030.
Ahmed Bahrozyan said, “We have introduced the Code of Practice to describe the minimal safety and security requirements of self-driving vehicles to be tested.”
“Accordingly, we issue permits to companies to carry out trials within geo-fenced areas to control the number of potential risks. RTA has developed this guide to enable manufacturers to test the technology systematically in Dubai,” he added.
“The guide includes a clear methodology for testing these vehicles against international standards to ensure the transparency and governance of the vehicle assessment procedures. It also highlights the security and safety of passengers as well as road users,” he noted.
He explained that the application of this guide in the testing of self-driving vehicles involved four phases.
- Compliance and test: It verifies that manufacturers are eligible to take part in tests under specific criteria.
- Tests within geo-fenced areas: It aims to ensure the safety of vehicles for drivers and road users and the fitness of vehicles for driving on Dubai roads.
- Assessment through Simulators: This phase aims to study the overall impact on roads network.
- Trials on specific parts of Dubai roads that show moderate traffic movement: The aim is to deploy test vehicles with other vehicles while giving due consideration to the safety of road users.
“When the vehicle passes these stages, a no objection certificate is issued for the use of vehicles on Dubai roads as per the applicable legislation. This guide contributes to attracting manufacturers to invest in researches and trials to transform Dubai into a regional hub for self-driving vehicles,” he concluded.
