Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, today announced plans to have 25 per cent of all car trips in this city-state in the United Arab Emirates to be driverless by 2030.
In a statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency, Sheikh Mohammed said it would cut down on costs and traffic crashes. He said the project would be a joint venture by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Future Foundation.
Dubai is already home to a driverless Metro rail system. It also has a number of taxi companies, driven by a large foreign labour force. There was no discussion about what would become of the drivers.