Autonomous Transport: The Experience Firsthand

Last week, we visited Abu Dhabi to experience their autonomous transport pilots firsthand — from WeRide’s Robobus and Robotaxis to TXAI’s autonomous taxis. It was a fascinating glimpse into the future of mobility, and a reminder of just how close we are to meaningful adoption.

We met with the WeRide team to explore how their autonomous vehicles could integrate with our Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) networks in Dubai. The potential is huge — combining their autonomous MPVs with our platform could enable high-efficiency, low-cost shared mobility in off-peak zones or feeder corridors, helping cities run leaner and smarter.

The rides were smooth — even on the motorway — and showed how far AV performance has come. But we’re still in the trial phase. These vehicles are operating in small volumes and there are clear teething issues. One moment stood out: our taxi had to drop us in the middle of the road because a regular car was parked in the AV’s designated pick-up spot. It’s a small thing, but at scale, managing kerbside infrastructure for thousands of autonomous vehicles will be a real operational challenge for cities.

This trip reinforced something we believe strongly: shared autonomous transport needs to be at the heart of transport planning. Simply replacing all cars with autonomous ones won’t solve congestion — it’ll just automate traffic. But enabling shared rides, with 1–3 passengers in autonomous MPVs that offer near door-to-door service with minimal detours, gives a taxi-like experience at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact.

Cities like Dubai, which plan to double their population by 2040, must prioritise space-efficient, tech-enabled shared transport — not just autonomous vehicles. That’s where AVs can truly shine: not by offering a 1:1 replacement of the private car, but by making high-quality shared mobility both scalable and attractive.

At DrivenBus, we’re actively working to bring this vision to life — and partnerships like the one we’re exploring with WeRide could be a key part of it. The road ahead is exciting — and we’re building the systems to help cities travel it well.