Dubai goes digital
Technology – it can amaze but also terrify you. Particularly when it’s capable of knowing all about you, as the recent Facebook headlines have highlighted. So there’s likely some mixed feelings about the latest development for drivers in Dubai…
Next month there’ll be a trial that will see number plates go digital in the UAE’s capital city. But along with digital screens they’ll also have GPS and transmitters.
On the plus side, it means that if there’s an accident, the technology will make things easier for the emergency services as they’ll be able to identify the location easily. But for those on the more cautious side, it also means that not only will your online life be easily trackable, but your actual one too. And you don’t have to major in conspiracy theories to worry about why this could be a cause for concern.
Then there’s the fact that it seems the digital number plates might be linked to bank accounts – apparently payments such as parking fees will be able to be deducted from drivers’ accounts automatically. For those that have had any background in debating the odd parking ticket, this could immediately set hackles rising.
So, do we need to get worried that such technology will be coming to the UK’s streets soon?
Fingers crossed, no. Dubai is setting itself up to be an ‘international technology hub’ with plans to have a quarter of all journeys self-driving by 2030. And alongside that, it has talked about introducing drone taxis to help free up the roads - the idea of drones replacing black cabs is, at present, a little too hard to imagine.
Next month there’ll be a trial that will see number plates go digital in the UAE’s capital city. But along with digital screens they’ll also have GPS and transmitters.
On the plus side, it means that if there’s an accident, the technology will make things easier for the emergency services as they’ll be able to identify the location easily. But for those on the more cautious side, it also means that not only will your online life be easily trackable, but your actual one too. And you don’t have to major in conspiracy theories to worry about why this could be a cause for concern.
Then there’s the fact that it seems the digital number plates might be linked to bank accounts – apparently payments such as parking fees will be able to be deducted from drivers’ accounts automatically. For those that have had any background in debating the odd parking ticket, this could immediately set hackles rising.
So, do we need to get worried that such technology will be coming to the UK’s streets soon?
Fingers crossed, no. Dubai is setting itself up to be an ‘international technology hub’ with plans to have a quarter of all journeys self-driving by 2030. And alongside that, it has talked about introducing drone taxis to help free up the roads - the idea of drones replacing black cabs is, at present, a little too hard to imagine.
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