In partnership with Talabat, the initiative also includes the relaunch of air-conditioned mobile buses
The UAE’s summer heat can certainly be too much to drive around in, especially in the months of July and August.
While there are certainly plenty of indoor things to do to beat the heat, delivery riders are forced to stay on the roads for long hours.
However, there’s a solar-powered solution to this major problem!
The Technical Committee for Traffic Safety, under the umbrella of Joint Committee for Traffic Safety, in partnership with talabat, announced the launch of the first in the region solar-powered rest areas.
The move is also supported by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and other governmental entities.
The initiative also includes the relaunch of the air-conditioned mobile buses, all of which are strategically positioned across key rider locations in Abu Dhabi. The collaboration aims to provide all delivery riders with easily accessible stations where they can recharge and hydrate between orders during summer.
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These solar-powered smart boxes were locally built by Smart Energy Solutions (SES) to encourage domestic production and decorated with graffiti art by local talent. They operate 24/7 and are equipped with rechargeable batteries, completely eliminating fuel consumption and providing an environmentally friendly solution with reduced CO2 emissions.
Riders will enjoy noise-free, seated, and air-conditioned rest areas with access to water dispensers and mobile recharge stations. The design of the smart boxes includes an external structure that offers a shaded parking area for bikes, along with an air pump to check tyre pressure.
The ‘Summer Together’ initiative adopts a hybrid approach that combines the stationary smart boxes and mobile air-conditioned buses, providing more flexibility to relocate the latter based on the changing concentration of riders across the capital, which ensures that all delivery riders have access to rest areas to relax and recharge during summer.
The introduction of three rider rest areas running on renewable energy is one of many steps the private and public sectors are taking to help reduce carbon footprint, in line with the UAE government’s commitment towards a greener future in the lead-up to COP28 this year.
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