For nearly a month, a Croatian company has been rolling out what it says is Europe's first robotaxi service on the streets of Zagreb, with AFP among the first journalists to try it on Tuesday.
Backed by Uber and powered by Chinese self-driving firm Pony.ai, Croatia's Verne has operated 10 automated vehicles for a select number of customers in the city since April 8.
kAms6DA:E6 D:>:=2C D6CG:46D 36:?8 2G2:=23=6 :? r9:?2 2?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 7@C J62CD[ >F=E:A=6 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 DE:== 4@>A6E:?8 E@ 3C:?8 2FE@?@>@FD E2I: D6CG:46D E@ tFC@A62? C@25D]k^Am
kAm'6C?6VD D6CG:46 :D :?E6?565 E@ 36 7F==J 2FE@?@>@FD[ H:E9 2 9F>2? Q@A6C2E@CQ E6>A@C2C:=J 369:?5 E96 H966= 5FC:?8 E96 4FCC6?E A92D65 C@==@FE[ :? 42D6 :?E6CG6?E:@? :D ?66565]k^Am
k9am\ $>@@E9 @A6C2E@C \k^9am
kAmsFC:?8 pu!VD C:56 H:E9 E96 D6CG:46[ H9:49 E96 4@>A2?J D2JD :D FD65 3J b__ A6@A=6[ E96 @A6C2E@C \\ 2 '6C?6 6>A=@J66 ?2>65 s6?: {:?< \\ ?6G6C 925 E@ DE6A :?]k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE=J D>@@E9 C:56 H2D @?=J :?E6CCFAE65 H96? 2? @?4@>:?8 G69:4=6 G66C65 :?E@ E96 HC@?8 =2?6[ 7@C4:?8 E96 42C E@ DE@A DF556?=J]k^Am
kAmQ$@CCJ[ H6 925 E@ 3C2<6[Q 2 42=> H@>2?VD G@:46 E@=5 pu! 2?5 E96 @E96C A2DD6?86CD]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 @7E6? 492@E:4 rC@2E:2? EC277:4 2?5 4@>A=:42E65 :?E6CD64E:@?D[ '6C?6VD 9625 @7 4@F?ECJ @A6C2E:@?D[ u:=:A r:?5C:4[ D2:5 >@DE C:56D 2C6 4@>A=6E65 QH:E9@FE 2?J :?E6CG6?E:@?Q]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ r:?5C:4[ H9@ 244@>A2?:65 pu! 5FC:?8 E96 C:56[ h_ A6C46?E @7 C:56CD 82G6 E96 D6CG:46 7@FC @C 7:G6 DE2CD[ H:E9 ?@ C6A@CE65 4@==:D:@?D @G6C E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 <:=@>6EC6D]k^Am
k9am\ vC25F2= 6IA2?D:@? \k^9am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 D6CG:46 H2D 7:CDE 2??@F?465 :? 62C=J pAC:=[ D:89E:?8D @7 E96 G69:4=6D @? +28C63 DEC66ED 92G6 366? C2C6]k^Am
kAmu@C ?@H[ E96 G69:4=6D @A6C2E6 :? E96 4:EJ 46?EC6[ A2CED @7 E96 D@FE9[ 2?5 2C@F?5 E96 2:CA@CE[ '6C?6 rt~ |2C<@ !6;<@G:4 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQtIA2?D:@? :D 8C25F2=[ H:E9 6249 ?6H K@?6 :?EC@5F465 @?=J 27E6C 56E2:=65 G2=:52E:@? 2?5 @?46 E96 DJDE6> :D AC@G6? C6=:23=6 :? C62=\H@C=5 4@?5:E:@?D[Q !6;<@G:4 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@>A2?J[ :?E6C6DE :? E96 2FE@>2E65 D6CG:46[ H9:49 4@DED `]hh 6FC@D WSa]baX A6C C:56[ 92D 366? DEC@?8[ H:E9 2C@F?5 c[___ A6@A=6 4FCC6?E=J @? E96 H2:E:?8 =:DE]k^Am
kAm!6;<@G:4 D2:5 E96 =@H AC:46 H2D 2:>65 2E 6?E:4:?8 FD6CD 2?5 6?4@FC28:?8 7665324<[ H:E9 AC:46D 6IA64E65 E@ C:D6 2D E96 D6CG:46 8C@HD]k^Am
k9am\ |@C6 4:E:6D E@ 4@>6 \k^9am
kAm~C56C65 E9C@F89 '6C?6VD 2AA =:<6 2?J C:56D92C6 D6CG:46[ E96 2FE@>2E65 G69:4=6D 2C6 6BF:AA65 H:E9 >F=E:A=6 42>6C2D[ =:52C =2D6CD 2?5 C252CD E@ 96=A ?2G:82E6 E96 DEC66ED]k^Am
kAm'6C?6[ 7@F?565 :? a_`h[ D2:5 5:D4FDD:@?D H6C6 F?56C H2J :? `` 4:E:6D 24C@DD E96 tFC@A62? &?:@?[ E96 &?:E65 z:?85@>[ 2?5 E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
kAmx? +28C63[ :E 2:>D E@ EC2?D:E:@? E@ 7F==J 5C:G6C=6DD @A6C2E:@?D 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C[ DF3;64E E@ C68F=2E@CJ 2AAC@G2=D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 b_ 255:E:@?2= 4:E:6D ?@H 36:?8 4@?D:56C65[ r:?5C:4 D2:5 96 H2D AC@F5 E92E +28C63 H2D E96 7:CDE E@ >2<6 :E 92AA6?]k^Am
kAmQx7 :E H6C6 E92E 62DJ[ :E H@F=5 2=C625J 6I:DE :? {@?5@? @C D@>6 @E96C >2;@C tFC@A62? 4:EJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm=;G^2=^A9Kk^Am
