The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) will launch the London Taxi version service using hybrid cabs from February at the Dubai International Airport, says His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The announcement was made during Al Tayer’s visit to the DTC to review the performance indicators of the corporation in 2020 and to discuss the projects to be undertaken this year.
The trialling of the London Taxi version service will start this February and the service will be available at the Dubai International Airport. The new taxi is characterised by a unique and roomy interior that offers riders a wide space and six seats in a separate cabin.@DTCUAE pic.twitter.com/J7DW8Nm0DZ
— RTA (@rta_dubai) January 16, 2021
The London Taxi is a semi-curve-shaped car in black color that mimics the iconic London Cab operating in the British capital. The vehicle has a distinctive and roomy interior that gives the riders a wide space and six seats in a separate cabin. The cab is specially designed to serve the needs of people of determination as well.
The taxi is equipped with cutting-edge technologies including a satellite-based navigation system, voice command system, forward-collision warning system, blind-spot monitoring system and lane departure warning system in addition to a Wi-Fi network, to ensure a smooth and secure riding experience.
The hybrid cab was designed with dual-engine to provide better control of the vehicle under different climatic conditions. The battery can be charged within just 30 minutes using the fast charging feature and three hours using the regular charging system.
AI for smart control
During the visit, Al Tayer also reviewed DTC’s efforts in using big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the smart control of vehicles. The taxis in the emirate have been fitted with modern devices to curb the malpractices of drivers including a system to stop the vehicle by the control center in emergencies, a backup tracking system and a vehicle distribution and scheduling system.
DTC started to use big data to operate taxis in high-demand areas. The system was applied to the Al Quoz and Mina Rashid stations and contributed to raising the operational efficiency of the two stations by 83 percent. The corporation currently aims to expand the use of big data to include Dubai airports, Muhaisnah, Jebel Ali and Al Maktoum Airport.
Last year, DTC launched Tawseel Delivery Service in collaboration with the first and last-mile challenge companies and cooperative societies through smart apps. About 220 vehicles were engaged in the project. DTC contracted with 12 companies and entities to deliver orders to clients.
Virtual Control
The virtual control center initiative was also briefed to Al Tayer, the center uses future technologies, a mixed-reality command and control application that generates a three-dimensional map of the current operational status of the Dubai Taxi fleet. The system gives direct orders and make adjustments using hand gestures and provide all data in a single view to facilitate decision-making.
