Dubai is launching digital number plates as a part of a trial which will be seeing cars fitted with GPS and transmitters. The digitized number will also be able to alert the emergency services if the car gets in an accident. Dubai is very determined to become a global leader in the technology. It is implementing a large number of trials to test the emerging technologies for everyday use. The drivers who will get their number plates digitized will receive many benefits. The number plates enable police or ambulance to find the car if it gets in any kind of accident. The plates will also be capable of monitoring the traffic conditions and communicate it to other drivers.
The digital number plates will also be linked to the bank accounts of the individuals so that all fines can be deducted automatically. The head of the Vehicle Licensing Department says that the plates will make life smoother and easier for drivers in Dubai. The digital panel will also update with a message if needed to alert or warn the driver about change in condition. The trial period of the plates will be held in the hot dry climate of Dubai. It is expected that the trial will start in May and ends in November. The details of the cost of the plate are not known yet.
The critics of the plate are asking that how much knowledge about an individual the government should keep. If every car gets fitted with the plate then the location of every person who is connected to the government will be known by authorities all the time. Dubai aims to be the leader in the emerging technology which is related to transport. The city is also hoping to have self-driving cars soon.
Dubai city authority has also announced their desire to use drone taxis in the city as the possible method to overcome heavy traffic congestion. They also plan to have a hyperloop system between downtown Dubai and the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi. The Hyperloop will cut the 120km journey between the two cities to just 12 minutes. They are also looking for possibilities to introduce flying hoverbike drones for its police force. They have plans to add a bunch of the Russian designed Hoversurf Scorpion 3 to the team to run both their manned and unmanned missions.
The announcement was made at GITEX, which is the largest technology expo in the Gulf region. The device can fly with a pilot up to 70kmh and when unmanned, it can reach 100kmh. The hoverbikes have a range of about 20 to 25 minutes and the batteries take almost three hours to charge.