The Croatian capital Zagreb is poised to make history as the first European city to launch a commercial robo-taxi service. The initiative is a joint venture between ride-hailing giant Uber, Croatian autonomous vehicle company Verne, and a Chinese technology partner.

The robo-taxi fleet is expected to begin operations later this year, initially covering central Zagreb before expanding to wider metropolitan areas. The vehicles will operate without human drivers, using advanced AI and sensor systems to navigate city streets.

Croatian officials hailed the project as a major win for the country's technology sector and a sign of Zagreb's growing reputation as an innovation hub. The city government has been working on regulatory frameworks to accommodate autonomous vehicles on public roads.

The partnership with a Chinese company has raised some eyebrows in Brussels, where concerns about Chinese technology in critical infrastructure have been growing. However, Croatian authorities emphasized that all data processing will comply with EU regulations and that the project underwent thorough security reviews.