Computer driven cars will change the face of global transportation, with features like self-fuelling and 360 degrees vision, auto experts say.
The driverless cars will be safer, causing fewer accidents and less congestion and will be more energy efficient, reducing the driving time and would let land currently used for parking to be used for parks and green spaces, they at a conference here.
In small cities like Dubai, this will be transformative. Every year, the planet drives 1.7 light years in terms of time and so it is critical for cities around the world to develop smart cars and encourage the use of public transport.
"The technology is here. It is a chance for programmers to change the world," said Brad Templeton, faculty member of Singularity University in California's Silicon Valley.
In 2005, Dubai witnessed 22 accidents per 100,000 people which cost UAE Dirham 4 billion. This has been reduced to just six accidents per 100,000 people owing to a robust infrastructure and new laws and regulations, said Mattar al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).
"The Dubai Metro, which is driverless, is doing very well and carries 50,000 passengers each day. In 2005, six per cent of the population used public transport and now it is 12 per cent. We are aiming for 20 per cent (of Dubai's population using public transport) by 2020," Tayer said.
