A driverless electric shuttle vehicle has begun carrying passengers in a test program in a downtown Las Vegas entertainment district in what officials say is a first on a U.S. city street.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman was among the first public officials to hop a ride during a demonstration this week of the vehicle developed by the French company Navya.

Company spokesman Martin Higgins on Friday called the 10-day pilot program the first use of an autonomous, fully electric shuttle on a public roadway.

It's being used in other countries, and a similar shuttle is being tested at a University of Michigan research site.

The vehicle carries up to 12 passengers.

It uses GPS and electronic sensors that Higgins says will stop it if a person or dog runs in front.