The new smart roadmap unveiled by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will help accelerate the city’s efforts in adopting autonomous technologies in the transport sector, the director general said.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors at the RTA, explained that the five-year strategy – ending in 2021 – will see the implementation of 34 projects, ranging from autonomous drones, self-driving buses and taxis, as well as other projects – such as the expansion of pedestrian crossings and information kiosks.

The RTA has already implemented 29 projects over the last three years, Al Tayer added, as part of its efforts to become the smartest city in the world. The roadmap will see the authority inviting leading international firms to take part in a competition that will help to bring out the best in autonomous technology, he explained.