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This Balkan capital is drawing attention in Europe: It's experimenting with robot taxis

2026-05-25 20:13:58Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
This Balkan capital is drawing attention in Europe: It's experimenting with
ZAGREB

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, has become one of the first European cities to test a robotaxi service, driverless vehicles that use artificial intelligence and advanced sensors.

The project is being run by the company Verne, owned by Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, often referred to in the media as the “Croatian Elon Musk.” The service is currently still in an experimental phase.

Only about 400 pre-registered people can use the vehicles, and there is a waiting list for new users. Currently, only 10 robo-taxi vehicles are circulating on the streets of Zagreb.

Although the vehicles are largely autonomous, each still has a human operator in the driver's seat. According to the company, he does not intervene in the driving, but is there only in emergencies.

The main reason is that Croatian legislation does not yet allow for the circulation of fully driverless vehicles. The Croatian government is working on legal changes that are expected to be adopted this year.

This Balkan capital is drawing attention in Europe: It's experimenting with

The fact that Croatia is experimenting with this technology has attracted attention in Europe. The country is not usually considered a major center of technological innovation, especially compared to Germany or France.

For this reason, the project is seen as an ambitious attempt to put Zagreb on the European map of autonomous technology. The service operates through an app where the user selects the destination.

Currently, vehicles can only stop at around 500 designated points in the city center and in several other neighborhoods. They also cover the route to Zagreb Airport.

The price of each ride is just 1.99 euros, a very low fee that the company has set for promotional reasons. However, the project has also received criticism.

Some users on Reddit and other social networks have accused Verne of using the service more as an advertisement than as a real public transportation system.

Current restrictions and the small number of vehicles have led many to consider the project still far from mass use. In the spotlight, Mate Rimac, one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the Balkans.

He became known for his company "Rimac Automobili", which specializes in the production of luxury electric sports cars. Rimac has built the image of a visionary entrepreneur who started from a small garage and achieved international success.

However, his figure remains controversial. Critics say that close relations with the conservative HDZ party and the Croatian government have greatly contributed to the success of his companies.

Croatian media have also frequently reported on the financial problems and debts of Rimac's businesses.

Despite the criticism, the robotaxi project has received significant financial support from the European Union. The European Commission has awarded the company around 179.5 million euros to develop autonomous technology.

If the Zagreb experiment proves successful, it could pave the way for the wider use of robo-taxis in Europe. But many challenges remain: road safety, legal regulation, and public acceptance.

For now, Zagreb is serving as an urban laboratory to test what the transportation of the future might look like.


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