Dubai leads the world in quality of roads thanks to its relentless efforts to keep pace with the future needs marked by accelerating improvements of roads and transport means in the emirate, said Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He was delivering a lecture at the American University in Dubai, titled "The Role of Youth in the Future of Transportation."

"The Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy stands out of other global strategies as the transition towards autonomous transport in Dubai is driven by the government, whereas in other cities and countries it is the private sector that steers the process," stated Al Tayer.

"Moreover, the Dubai Strategy spans the entire public transit network comprising trains, buses, marine transport means and taxis in addition to private vehicles, whereas many countries are focussed on a limited means of transit. The strategy involves a global competition for engaging advanced companies in smart mobility," he added.

In his speech, Al Tayer also unveiled plans for protecting the environment, raising traffic safety level, and reducing travel time from one place to another.

"The technological advancement of transport has opened new horizons for developing transit means such as the Hyperloop, driverless vehicles, and autonomous vehicles. All of these modes will be operating in Dubai, particularly as preparations for Expo 2020 are gathering pace," said the RTA chief.

Reflecting on the RTA’s achievements since 2005, Al Tayer praised Dubai’s contribution to ranking the UAE as number one in the quality of roads worldwide over the past five years, according to the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Additionally, Al Tayer said the road fatalities in Dubai have dropped from nearly 22 cases per 100,000 of the population in 2006 to 2.5 cases per 100,000 of the population in 2017.

On the RTA’s future aspirations, the top official said: "Our sights are focussed on five transit means that set the global trends and bring in new technologies such as the driverless transport, creative transit means, shared mobility, and transport on demand."

"The implementation of the Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy will reduce mobility cost by 44 per cent, curb demand for parking spaces by 50 per cent, cut carbon emissions by 12 percent, and curtail traffic accidents and associated losses by 12 per cent. It will also boost the happiness of people by offering them new mobility options," he added.-TradeArabia News Service