Zurich Police Stopps RIVR Delivery Robot

Switzerland usually ranks at the very top in terms of innovative strength in Europe, but that may not mean much. Desire and practice collide head-on here, and that is currently very clear to see.

A two-month trial run of delivery robots by ETH Zurich spin-off startup RIVR with Just Eat in Zurich came to an abrupt end after just a few days. A TikTok video shows Zurich police “arresting” the robot because they classified it as a vehicle without a license. Now the Federal Roads Office (Astra) is trying to determine the delivery robot’s specifications for classification purposes. How fast does it travel? How is it monitored? As Astra press spokesperson Martina Wirth explained:

Ultimately, it is about ensuring safety for all road users when traveling on public roads.

Interestingly, Switzerland just passed a regulation in March 2025 with a lot of fanfare – all about being an “innovative location” and stuff – that regulates autonomous driving, but the devil’s in the details. Who gets to decide, who gets a say, and who needs to be informed?

Click here to watch a video about the incident and the interview with the Astra press spokesperson. And here is another video from RIVR with Just Eat from two weeks ago at the start of the trial operation.

This article was also published in German.