Dubai is making it happen. It may seem to be a crazy dream of a flyer or something from those futuristic science fiction movies, but it is going to take place sooner rather than later.
This summer, Dubai is all set to take things to the sky. The government is about to introduce a new self-driving drone taxi service.
Head of Roads & Transport Agency, Mattar al-Tayer, introduced a passenger carrying drone service. It would be a one-person carrying drone which would move passengers from one point to another.
The minister also revealed that the new Dubai taxi drone was not a testing model and the authorities had experimented with it in Dubai’s skies.
About the Drone Taxi Service Dubai
The new Dubai taxi drone is a Chinese model called EHang 184. The EHang 184 was first unveiled at the CES 2016 and also conducted test flights in Las Vegas. The drone can carry one passenger weighing a maximum of 100 kilograms. There is a separate luggage compartment which can fit in a small suitcase.
The EHang can go up to 50 kilometers or 31 miles on a single charge. The drone can reach speeds of up to 160 km/hour.
How will Dubai Taxi Drone Be Operated?
Dubai’s government will set a “Remote Command Center” to run the drone taxi service. The drone taxi service in Dubai would offer flights traveling a distance of 40 to 50 kilometers, usually flying at speeds of 100 km/hour.
The drone taxi service space is going to get more competitive by time. Many other companies are working on the idea of flying drone taxis. Airbus is planning to get into the air with its drone by the end of 2017. Similarly, Uber has hired a former NASA engineer to work on its version of drone taxi. Lastly, Larry Page, Google’s Founder is also experimenting with a secret design through the new startup called Zee Aero.
Traffic Congestion in Dubai for Real
Dubai is one of the craziest places on earth when it comes to traffic congestion. The city had to bear a cost of AED 771,147.388 per kilometer for the year 2013. Dubai’s economy suffered AED 2.9 billion due to lost working hours, fuel, and time in 2013.
Dubai air taxi service may not seem to be a big idea at this stage. However, in the future, as the technology of passenger carrying air drones evolves, we are sure to see more of these drones with the capacity to transport multiple passengers. Emergency services like air ambulance can take advantage of the air drones which can carry a single person in case of an emergency.
