AUTOS

Dubai wants 25 per cent of all car trips driverless by 2030

The Associated Press Published Monday, April 25, 2016 1:18PM EDT

Cars drive on Sheikh Zayed's highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 9, 2011. (Kamran Jebreili / AP)

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Dubai, already home to the world's tallest building, is looking to get ahead by getting out of the driver's seat.

Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced plans Monday to have 25 per cent of all car trips in this city-state in the United Arab Emirates to be driverless by 2030.

In a statement carried by the state-run WAM news agency, Sheikh Mohammed said it would cut down on costs and traffic crashes. He said the project would be a joint venture by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Future Foundation.

Already, Dubai is home to a driverless Metro rail system. It also has a number of taxi companies, driven by a large foreign labour force. There was no discussion about what would become of the drivers.