Ford’s ride-sharing Chariot closing

Ford’s ride-sharing shuttle service, Chariot, is set to close.

The operation’s UK arm is set to end services on 25 January 2019. Its US operations are due to close on 1 February 2019. It plans to have ceased all operations across the US and in the UK by the end of March. It said it will make a ‘good faith effort’ to refund all remaining commuter credit balances after commuter service ends.

Chariot began operating in London in January 2018. It provides a ride-sharing minibus operation designed to connect commuters living and working in areas underserved by public transport with nearby transit hubs. The idea behind it was to cut the reliance on cars to get to work, therefore reducing the number of vehicles on the road to improve commutes for everyone.

A statement from Ford Chariot’s CEO, Dan Grossman, said: “We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause Chariot’s riders and our enterprise customers. We are committed to ensuring our customers are aware of the decision and have time to make alternative transportation arrangements.

“We are truly grateful to our commuters, enterprise customers, and partners for your support over the past five years. Chariot was built on a commitment to help reduce congestion, ease the commute and improve quality of life in cities, and since our start, we have provided our customers with more than 3m rides. In addition, we helped Ford build their mobility business, and their experience with Chariot continues to inform their mobility efforts and design decisions for the future.

“In addition to our customers, our priority during this transition is to ensure we support our employees. We are thankful for their hard work and dedication to bringing Chariot to where it is today.”