Skypod is the future of commuting
dubai — The time is nearing for lovers of public transport to see Dubai’s shift from a smart transit means to futuristic mobility system.
On Tuesday, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, inspected two models of the skypods at the depot of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which would change the perception of public transport system.
Praising the efforts of the RTA, Sheikh Hamdan said that the users of public transport means can have their “last miles” on these futuristic mobility means in Dubai, which no other country can offer.
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, received Sheikh Hamdan during his tour of the Metro Depot.
The ambitious skypods included Unibike, which can travel at a maximum speed of 150kmph and lift about 20,000 riders per hour; and the Unicar, which can also travel at a speed of 150kmph and lift about 50,000 riders per hour.
The small-size lightweight transit means is fitted with steel wheels to move on suspended rails. They combine the features of high-performance electric vehicles, in addition to sport, recreation ones, and the electric systems powering the vehicle. The units can be fitted with power generator like a bicycle. Each unit can accommodate one to five riders as per the individual transport design.
The power consumption is five times lesser than electric vehicles and the system requires infrastructure, which is 10 times lesser than conventional transit systems of the
same capacity. The Unicar can accommodate one to six riders at a time and is designed to lift passengers for a distance up to 200km. It has a stylish design, which can sail through Dubai’s high-rise network, linking between towers.
Hamdan also inspected the new trains being tested at the Dubai Metro; the latest rail maintenance system, which contributes to reduced human errors and a longer lifespan of the train infrastructure; the Range Rover Evoque convertible limo and the Dubai Taxi limo bike.
The convertible limo will be rolled out in areas such as the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab, JBR and City Walk. The Limo Bike offers riders and tourists an exceptional mobility experience, besides ensuring quick mobility during peak hours at high population-density areas. It assists the integration of transit sys- tems through easing the mobility of public transport riders to their last destinations (last mile).
Sheikh Hamdan also reviewed Mobile Command Vehicle, fitted with cutting-edge technologies, can facilitate roads and transportrelated emergency and crises.
Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Dubai Metro and on the progress of preparations for the Dubai World Challenge for SelfDriving Transport Congress.