Drivers in Dubai may soon receive traffic updates directly on their car dashboards, as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) develops a system to connect vehicles with traffic signals in real time. The initiative aims to reduce congestion and improve road safety across the city.
The new system, named UX Fusion, uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to manage traffic flow. It employs computer vision to analyse footage from roadside cameras, allowing it to identify vehicle types and count pedestrians. This information is then processed by a central algorithm that manages movement across the entire road network, rather than just at individual intersections.
“It analyses the traffic through the cameras, detects the type of the vehicles, detects the counts of volumes, pedestrians and everything, and goes into the central system with a defined algorithm,” said Salah Al Marzooqi, Director of the Intelligent Traffic Systems Department at RTA. “It manages the traffic flow on the network of Dubai.”
Direct Vehicle Communication
Unlike traditional systems that control single intersections, UX Fusion coordinates entire corridors to allow groups of vehicles to move smoothly through multiple traffic lights. While the project is currently at the proof-of-concept stage, its next phase involves enabling the system to communicate directly with cars.
“We are working now with car manufacturers to put this information not within RTA systems only, but move it or send it, transmit it to the cars itself,” Al Marzooqi explained. He added that the system will show drivers crucial information on their dashboards, including countdowns for green and red lights and the delay time at a red signal.
The goal is to provide drivers with recommended speeds for safely crossing junctions and alerts about accidents or congestion ahead. This focus on technological solutions is part of a wider city trend, with entities like the Dubai Police planning to showcase smart innovations at major events. “A lot of people today use the mobile or maps to see the situation,” Al Marzooqi noted. “Our aim is that they should not be busy with the mobile. They have to just focus on the road.”
Implementation and Context
Full deployment is expected to take time as the RTA coordinates with international car manufacturers to establish the required infrastructure. “By the next three years, we can see this technology on roads,” he said.
Dubai’s traffic management network is already highly advanced. According to RTA data, existing AI-powered systems have improved intersection efficiency by up to 37% and reduced travel times by 10% to 20%. The UX Fusion platform builds on these achievements by integrating live analytics and vehicle connectivity, aligning Dubai with smart mobility programmes in cities like Singapore and Seoul that use similar vehicle-to-infrastructure systems.
