SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: Belarus-based uSky Transport has opened a 400-meter electric vehicle test line in the emirate of Sharjah to carry commuters in the sky in high-speed pods, which borders the emirate of Dubai, UAE, to help ease traffic.

The vehicle being tested can carry up to four passengers.

The company stated its fully implemented city-wide network could support 10,000 passengers per hour, with vehicles currently able to travel up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, but they cannot reach their top speed on the test track due to safety concerns.

The aim is to free up roads and ground space that could be used for greenery, walkways and public leisure spaces, it added.

"The ground level is completely over-saturated, and people are tired of traffic jams. People are tired of emissions," said Oleg Zaretskiy, uSky CEO.

A similar technology to transport cargo containers was also developed by the company, which can carry up to 48 tons at a top speed of 90 kilometers (56 miles) per hour.

Stephanie Haag, associate partner at the consulting firm McKinsey and Company, said transport pods that travel above the ground, also known as "sky pods," are sometimes compared to monorails or cable cars, but offer greater flexibility.

Later this year, uSky plans to build a 2.4 kilometer (1.5 mile) line in Sharjah, allowing it to run the passenger pod at higher speeds and demonstrate how passenger and cargo pods can be integrated into the same network.

According to Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, where uSky's test lines are located, the sky pods will support the emirate's strategy of becoming a sustainable, futuristic hub.
Neighboring emirate Dubai is also exploring driverless pods that would operate above city traffic.

Other international companies, such as Hyperloop, are reportedly developing high-tech transport pods for the region.

Zaretskiy noted that uSky is looking to do business beyond the UAE, but Haag stressed the pods are more suited to countries where public transportation is under-developed and with increasing demand for mobility solutions.

Also, uSky Transport has received inquiries from countries such, including the U.S. and Canada, Zaretskiy said, adding that the company hopes to finalize its first commercial contract by the end of the year in Sharjah, and have uSky pods up and running over traffic by 2024.