Zoox, a self-driving vehicle company owned by Amazon, says it has successfully carried passengers on public roads � a development that helps the California company inch closer to bringing the vehicle to the general public.

The company conducted the first run of its four-person �robotaxi� with employees on board Saturday, the Amazon subsidiary said Monday.

The vehicle, which doesn�t have a steering wheel or pedals, ran a mile-long (1.6-kilometer) route between two Zoox buildings at the company�s headquarters in Foster City, California. The carriage-style interior of the vehicle has two benches that face each other. It measures just under 12 feet (3.7 meters) long, about a foot (a third of a meter) shorter than a standard Mini Cooper and can travel up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph).

Zoox, which was founded in 2014 and bought by Seattle-based Amazon six years later, says its vehicle can navigate roads and avoid collisions. Before Saturday�s test, the company said it completed testing on private roads and got necessary approvals from California�s Department of Motor Vehicles.

With the test now completed, Zoox says its planning to launch a shuttle service exclusively for its employees.

(AP)