ZAGREB, October 14 2026, Croatian mobility company Verne has begun testing fully driverless robotaxi rides in Zagreb, marking a major step towards introducing autonomous transport without a safety operator inside the vehicle.
The company, backed by Uber and powered by Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai, has operated a commercial robotaxi service in the Croatian capital since April. However, a safety operator has remained behind the wheel during previous rides.
Verne chief executive Marko Pejkovic told AFP on Tuesday that the company began testing fully autonomous journeys in August along a 22-kilometre route connecting its Zagreb headquarters to the city’s airport.
The company aims to make the driverless service available to the public next year, with plans to expand into other European cities.
Verne currently operates around 30 autonomous vehicles in Zagreb’s city centre, near the airport and in selected surrounding areas. According to the company, approximately 1,500 people are using the service, while more than 10,000 remain on its waiting list.
Customers can book rides through Verne’s or Uber’s application. To encourage adoption and gather user feedback, fares have been kept at €1.99 per ride.
Pejkovic said the service had received an average customer rating of 4.8 out of five across thousands of commercial journeys.
The vehicles feature an interior display that allows passengers to monitor their route, access applications, watch videos and play games. The front passenger seat has been removed to accommodate the screen.
Although autonomous taxis are already operating in the United States and China, European companies are competing to introduce fully driverless services across the continent.
London launched a robotaxi service with an onboard safety driver last month, following Zagreb’s earlier introduction of commercial robotaxi operations.
Verne believes its latest trials could pave the way for wider adoption of autonomous transport in Europe, with passenger comfort and safety remaining key priorities.
-The Star
