October 15, 2018

With just a push of a button, taxis will halt at your door across 57 locations in Sharjah, easing you from the need of booking them through the call centre, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) Sharjah.

It first initiated the 'Taxi Butler' or 'Taxi Click' service at the Wasit police station in 2015, according to a senior official.

Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, director of the franchise and licensure department, said they have increased the number of these smart gadgets to 57 to meet the demand. 'The Taxi Click service is meant"...

October 14, 2018

Dubai's transport authority is set to unveil the region's first autonomous taxi at GITEX 2018, the technology exhibition taking place in the emirate from Sunday.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that the show will witness the launch of a host of smart initiatives and services including the test run of the driverless taxi.

Exhibits will also include Dubai Metro spare parts manufactured through 3D printing, the AI-based automated Chat Bot system, and robotic cleaners for Dubai Metro stations,"...

October 13, 2018

Confidence will get a long way in life, regardless of ability. Look at public schoolboys. Or Robbie Williams. And you certainly couldn’t accuse the Haval H6, the Chinese brand’s latest SUV to be launched in the UAE, of lacking pluck in its presentation.

In following a growing trend for cars that project an illuminated logo from their front doors, broadcast via blooming great big red letters that stretch for half a metre in the H6’s case, Haval seems to be saying: “Don’t be ashamed. You own a Haval. Let everybody know. It’s cool.”

That"...

October 10, 2018

FRANKFURT: German auto supplier Bosh said on Tuesday it will launch a van-sharing service in Germany this year, expanding its reach in the field of pay-per-minute vehicle rental services and pitting it against some of its automaker clients.

The traditional pecking order between car manufacturers and their suppliers has been turned on its head with the emergence of smartphone-hailed rental technology, which allows clients to use vehicles by the minute without owning them.

Bosch said it will team up with toom, a subsidiary of German retailer REWE, to supply delivery vans at hardware stores, enabling clients to rent a van to transport"...

October 10, 2018

UAE-based drifting crew Lunatics by Nature didn’t name themselves lightly – the evidence is to be seen in their new video, which involved them shutting down, then tearing up, Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain.

The trio are Dany Neville, Khalifa Al-Nahyan and Sultan Al-Qassimi. You quite probably have already heard of Neville, the UAE-raised Lebanese who has carved out a successful career as a DJ. Al-Nahyan and Al-Qassimi were both born and brought up in Abu Dhabi, and all three are speed-chasers with long histories in racing and extreme sports.

The collective, who"...

October 8, 2018

If you don’t like the idea of a Rolls-Royce SUV, blame the brand’s customers – or “patrons of luxury”, as company calls them. For it was they who asked the Goodwood-based marque to build the model now known as the Cullinan. They wanted “luxury, performance and usability”, a reflection of the younger demographic Rolls now attracts worldwide. As Bob Dylan sang, the times, they are a-changin’.

Not too much, though: there is pedigree for a Rolls-Royce off-roading in inhospitable terrain. T E Lawrence put armoured Silver Ghosts through their paces as he in the Arabian desert, remarking famously"...

October 8, 2018

• 7th cycle of the unique perception study of UAE motorists
• Dangerous driving is on the rise
• Reversal of long-term positive trend
• Only positives: Infrastructure improves as well as overall driving enjoyment

The 7th cycle of the unique ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ once more underlines the authorities’ efforts to further improve the road infrastructure, but it also delivers a trend reversal for UAE’s road safety perception. Erasing long term positive trends, most of the researched dimensions of reckless driving increase in this last survey wave, conducted in September 2018.

October 6, 2018

Registration of electric vehicles in Dubai now requires validation from an accredited agent of such vehicles in the UAE, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Thursday.

'This requirement, put into effect from the beginning of October, stems from RTA's commitment to the safety of roads and users,' the RTA said in a statement.

'Electric vehicles have highly sensitive electrical and chemical components that pose a risk to users, roads, and pedestrians without proper quality checks. The availability of an accredited agent within the UAE will"...

October 3, 2018

Al Masaood Automobiles, authorized distributor of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region of the UAE, has launched the all-new Renault Duster.

The event took place at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Renault’s and Al Masaood Automobiles’ senior executives. With more than 2.45 million Dusters sold worldwide, the new and improved model offers a refreshing take on4WD driving experience, equipped with the same off-road capability and affordability to beat the best in the market.

Irfan Tansel, CEO, Al Masaood Automobiles, said: “We are proud to launch the all-new Duster in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain to cater to the growing demand for stylish"...

October 2, 2018

Careem, the Dubai-based ride hailing app, is keen to expand its fleet of electric vehicle across countries in which it operates, a senior executive has said.

In June, the company announced the introduction of an electric car type option onto the fleet for the first time in Dubai where its cars are turquoise, Model S Tesla cars and fares will be priced in line with the Careem Business rates, with a starting minimum fare of AED60.

Careem operates in more than 120 cities across at least 14 countries from North Africa to Pakistan, and is a leader in most of them.