Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced a comprehensive plan to boost its sustainability initiatives. The plan, directed at the delivery service sector, involves the development of a prototype for an electric motorcycles and establishing charging stations throughout Dubai, among others.
The sustainable plan
The plan to switch to electric motorcycles includes developing the needed infrastructure for the commercial transportation sector. Moreover, this move requires amending licensing and registration requirements, in addition to developing experimental charging stations to replace electric motorcycle batteries.
Elaborating on the initiative, Muhannad Khaled Al Muhairi, director of commercial transport activities at RTA’s Licensing Agency, said: “This project is a part of the RTA’s ongoing efforts to elevate the efficiency and user experience of sustainable transportation. It seeks to offer more effective and sustainable services consistent with the objectives of Dubai Vision 2030 to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent. This initiative also coincides with the Year of Sustainability 2023.”
Switching to zero-emission transportation
“The goal of this initiative is to broaden and improve the scope of current and future commercial transport services and accelerate the shift towards zero-emission transportation means. As such, it echoes an enhanced corporate responsibility towards all community segments,” Al Muhairi added.
He noted that RTA, in partnership with companies specialized in the field, has taken the initial step to study and develop the optimal model of electric motorcycles. RTA is ensuring that the electric motorcycles are appropriate and compatible with the delivery sector’s nature of work. This step aims to encourage companies operating in this field to adopt sustainable means of transportation.
Charging stations
The plan will also include establishing charging stations distributed throughout Dubai to provide the means for the gradual transition to electric motorcycles. This will also contribute to reducing operational costs by reducing reliance on fossil fuel consumption. The plan will also reduce negative driving behaviors due to the distinctive technology that electric motorcycles possess. Therefore, this will reduce the rate of accidents.
Al Muhairi stressed RTA’s firm commitment to complying with the vision of its wise leadership. It provides optimal solutions for the commercial transport sector, which contributes to raising the efficiency and effectiveness of means of transport. Moreover, its initiative serves the strategic direction of the commercial transport sector.
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Charging 15 million electric vehicles
Earlier, the latest forecasts by Gartner indicated that the number of electric vehicles (EV) (battery-powered and hybrid) that will be shipped during 2023 is approximately 15 million EVs. It estimates that EV shipments will grow at a rate of 19 percent during 2024, reaching a total of approximately 17.9 million vehicles.
In addition, Gartner expects that the total number of EVs, including cars, buses, pickup trucks, and heavy trucks, will reach approximately 18.5 million by 2024. Meanwhile, electric cars will represent 97 percent of the total EV shipments during 2024.
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