Dubai residents can now take a driverless taxi ride for free. Apollo Go’s autonomous vehicles are currently offering complimentary rides through the company’s app in parts of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. However, the same service also appears as a paid option in the Uber app.
How to book a free ride
To take a free ride, residents need to download the Apollo Go app and create an account.
Once logged in, users can choose their pick-up and drop-off locations within the service zone. For example, a short trip from the Jumeirah Mosque to Umm Suqeim is currently available.
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After confirming the ride, the vehicle arrives at the selected location. Passengers can unlock the car using a one-time password (OTP) provided in the app and begin their journey.
Where is the service available
For now, the service is limited to select areas, including Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. The rollout is gradual, and more locations are expected to be added as testing and approvals proceed.
Same ride, but paid on Uber
While rides are free on the Apollo Go app, Khaleej Times found that the same autonomous taxi is listed as a paid option on the Uber app.
For a short trip between Jumeirah Mosque and Umm Suqeim, the fare was shown at Dh81.20. In comparison, other options, such as UberX and electric rides, ranged from Dh63 to Dh80, while larger vehicles such as VanXL were priced higher.
The pricing also appeared to fluctuate, similar to other ride-hailing services.
Is it fully driverless?
The vehicles are designed to operate without a driver, but sometimes a safety specialist may be present inside the car.
The app also notes that a specialist may ride along during certain trips, indicating that the service is still being closely monitored during this phase.
What happens next
Dubai has set a target of making 25 per cent of all transportation trips autonomous by 2030.
While residents can enjoy free rides for now, the presence of paid options on platforms like Uber signals that driverless taxis are slowly moving from testing to everyday use.
For many, it offers a first look at what the future of travel in the city could soon feel like.
Source: Khaleej Times