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Dubai: Soon, you could be dropped from Metro to your doorstep by electric pods

The innovative Floc Duo rail was among the technology on display at the RTA stand at Gitex 2024

Published: Tue 15 Oct 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Wed 16 Oct 2024, 7:43 AM

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The Floc Duo rail displayed at the RTA pavilion at Gitex Global 2024 at DWTC. KT Photos: Shihab

The Floc Duo rail displayed at the RTA pavilion at Gitex Global 2024 at DWTC. KT Photos: Shihab

Dubai residents could soon be traversing the length and breadth of the city in autonomous electric pods that glide smoothly above the ground.

The innovative Floc Duo rail was among the technology on display at the stand of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at the Gitex Global 2024 exhibition that began in Dubai on Monday. A video of the rail network shows how the pods will transport passengers to their doorstep.

According to Hassan Al Mutawa, rail maintenance director, the intelligent system is very easy to set up. “It's cheap and fast to construct,” he said.

Hassan Al Mutawa, rail maintenance director

Hassan Al Mutawa, rail maintenance director

“Once it is manufactured in the factory, they can just assemble it on the ground within the city. There is no need to build specific infrastructure for it. Currently, it's a prototype and we are testing it with the company. Once it's mature enough, we can implement it in Dubai.”

A model of the pod was on display at the stand, which showed each having eight seats for passengers. The pods can be operated individually or in groups, connecting and detaching based on real-time traffic.

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Operate on roads, tunnels

Earlier this month, Dubai approved a 65km-long suspended transport systems project connecting Umm Suqeim St, Ras Al Khor, and Zabeel. The announcement by the Executive Council of Dubai was part of a series of new plans aimed at boosting Dubai’s leadership in several sectors over the next decade.

The Floc Duo rail can operate on roads, tunnels and elevated tracks, making it very adaptable depending on the transportation needs.

Hassan said it could be extremely beneficial for busy cities like Dubai. “This system combines new technologies with operational efficiencies,” he said. “It works on an electrical base. It is driverless, and can help in providing solutions to avoid congestion on roads. It works on an elevated rail network and can go on the roads on predefined routes similar to autonomous cars.”

Hassan further explained how the rail can connect to different transportation modes. “It's two systems combined in one,” he said.

“It will help in the first and last mile and can connect to different transportation modes, metro and tram, and even the buses. It can also be used to provide end-to-end transportation. So it works in both cases, end-to-end and to support the main public transport.”

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