Electric, driverless transport solution is expected to hit the road in Dubai within a year, according to Careem, the Middle East region’s leading app-based car booking service.

Careem has showcased driverless pods at Gitex 2016, in partnership with US-based Next Future Transportation, as part of the Dubai Smart Government initiative.

The pods are electric, driverless and can move individually or by attaching themselves to other pods, to form a bus-like structure allowing passengers to move freely from one pod to another.

These self-driving pods are designed to operate as a mass transportation system whereby passengers can conveniently be picked up on demand and dropped off to different locations, as the pods link and detach accordingly, creating an efficient, safe and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

The partnership comes soon after HH Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s announcement of the launch of the Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy – a new initiative aimed at making 25 percent of all transportation trips in Dubai, smart and driverless by 2030, said a statement.

“As one of the fastest growing tech startups in the Mena region, Careem prides itself on innovation and therefore this strategic partnership with a forward-thinking company such as Next is nothing short of incredible!” said Bassel Al Nahloui, VP of business development and government relations, Careem. “Our pods are currently in the R&D phase and within a year we will be launching the test phase, whereby fully functional prototypes will be tested in restricted areas.”

Careem, which has enjoyed early success in delivering luxury rides to millions of customers since its launch in 2012, recently partnered with the RTA to make public transportation such as taxis, more accessible by eventually making it available on their apps. This will help promote the vision of Next and Careem, which is to provide a more efficient mode of driverless public transportation.

“We have invented the world’s finest autonomous mass transit solution, and as we look to operationalise, we need a partner that will provide operational depth and scale. Careem is a perfect partner from our perspective given their vision, credibility and success in transforming transportation across the Mena region,” said Emmanuele Spera, founder and CEO, Next Future Transportation, “We look forward to continuing our journey to bring advanced transportation technologies and practices to the region.”
Next Future Transportation is a technology startup based in Silicon Valley, US and northern Italy. It has created a smart transportation system that consists of uniquely designed, electric modules that are autonomous and can be ordered to do a pick-up or a drop-off.  A module can seat six passengers and allow up to 10 standing passengers.  Modules can connect to each other to optimise freeway transit, and allow for intra-module passenger movement like a connected train.  Modules can also be specialised to provide “smart services” such as a modular restaurant, living accommodation, entertainment, office and battery swap services.  – TradeArabia News Service