Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will turn 90 per cent of its limousines into environmentally-friendly vehicles by 2026 after its board of directors endorsed the initiative.

The plan will see 65 per cent of the Dubai limousine fleet turned into hybrid vehicles, and 25 per cent turned into electric vehicles, according to UAE state media agency WAM, which added that the semi-total conversion initiative is the first of its kind worldwide.

The ratio of green limousines is currently six per cent, with plans to increase this to 10 per cent by 2020, and then 20 per cent by 2021, 30 per cent by 2022, and 40 per cent in 2023. The number is scheduled to increase to 55 per cent in 2024, 70 per cent in 2025, and 90 per cent in 2026.

“This initiative is implemented under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to save power consumption in the UAE, which is crucial for environmental sustainability and development projects with its various components,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA.

“It also fosters a safe, clean and sustainable environment that will leverage the profile of Dubai. In addition, it contributes to the Dubai Government initiative to introduce green vehicles for a cleaner environment.”

Al Tayer added: “The step is part of a master plan to curb carbon emissions of taxis and limos by 2 per cent as required by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and the Green Economy drive. It also comes in the aftermath of fuel deregulation policy and the low cost of electric/hybrid vehicles life span compared with fuel-powered vehicles.

“Nearly 6,500 limos are operated in Dubai by 100 companies or more. Each vehicle travels about 400 km per day, which translates into the production of 44 tonnes of carbon emissions per annum.

“RTA studies on the use of electric/hybrid vehicles showed that financial savings of using electric vehicles amount to Dhs20,000 over the life cycle of each vehicle. Hybrid vehicles make a saving of Dhs30,000. From an environmental perspective, electric vehicles do not have any harmful emissions, while the use of hybrid vehicles cuts emissions by 40 per cent.”

The chairman also said that the RTA is “offering a 25 per cent discount on the monthly franchise fees on electric vehicles throughout the first year” in its support of green mobility. He added that the authority will also “permit electric vehicles to use bus-dedicated lanes, in addition to increasing electric vehicles life span to two years more than fuel-powered vehicles”.

The RTA had previously endorsed a plan to transform 50 per cent of the Dubai taxi fleet into hybrid vehicles by 2021, growing the number of hybrid taxis from 791 vehicles in 2016 to 4,750 vehicles by 2021. The Dubai Taxi Corporation accounts for the largest share of hybrid vehicles as it currently operates 2,280 of these vehicles. Hybrid vehicles currently make up 28 per cent of the total taxi fleet in Dubai.