An experimental shuttle bus service operated by Ford has been approved by London’s transport authorities.
The vehicle manufacturer’s Chariot service, which has started in five US cities, will run four set routes and pick up passengers who pre-book via its app.
Passengers will pay a premium (£2.40) over normal bus fares (£1.50), and get a guaranteed seat on a Ford Transit minibus for their money.
The move by Ford is one of a series by vehicle manufacturers to provide shared mobility services as the traditional industry model is threatened by declining car ownership among younger people and city dwellers.
Ford welcomed the decision by Transport for London to grant a permit for its “microtransit” scheme. Ford said the Chariot commuter ride-share service would complement London’s existing public transport system “by offering in-app ride booking for first-and last-mile commuting solutions, and the potential to reach underserved areas”. It will announce further details of the scheme later this week.
A TfL spokesperson said: “After a thorough licensing process, we have issued Chariot with a licence to operate their service on four routes as a trial basis. This service has the potential to provide useful transport links in the areas they will serve, largely outside central London, and we will carefully monitor this trial.”
Four routes have been approved for up to a year, generally south of the Thames and serving areas without tube stations such as Battersea. Two routes were declined following comments from local residents and concerns about safety and existing services.
The Chariot service sits somewhere between ride-sharing services and local buses. It will be pre-bookable only, and can only pick up its passengers at set stops along the designated routes. It will be a commercial service and not part of TfL’s system, or accept Oyster.
TfL has signalled it wants to work with technology companies on innovative schemes that could improve transport links in London, despite turning down Uber’s licence renewal. Experimental bus services have been launched by CityMapper, while BMW has brought its Drive Now car sharing scheme to parts of the capital.
Ford operates Chariot in San Francisco, New York, Austin, Seattle and recently launched in Columbus, Ohio.
