This month I had the opportunity to try out Ford’s Chariot minibus service in London, another major company which has started operating minibuses on bus routes in the UK. Chariot services have been around for a while in the US, but the company now wants to bring the Ford Transits to Europe. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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I was surprised to hear that the service has permission to use the city’s bus lanes, because Ford sought a bus licence instead of a taxi licence. This is an enormous advantage for the service in a city which is notorious for severe congestion.
It’s a curious service, really. There are elements of the demand-responsive minibus operations I have seen in recent months, such as ArrivaClick and Slide, as seats need to be booked in advance with no fares taken at the time of travel.
However, while the service can occasionally skip a stop or two if nobody is being picked up or dropped off there, it operates at a 10 minute frequency to a set route.
After a meeting in the stunning Clipper Bar in the Intercontinental Hotel near the 02 Arena in North Greenwich, London, I was able to try the service for myself.
Ford said it has prioritised areas which are less well served by the transport network. To people living outside of London, and it can be hard to believe that anywhere within the M25 can benefit from ‘even more’ bus services, but despite its proximity to central London, it was clear the Shooter’s Hill area is benefitting from it.
We passed a couple of single-deckers on the road and I certainly don’t envy them for having to drive a large bus on a road so crowded with parked vehicles.
The minibus is so nimble by comparison on those roads and can easily get much closer to people’s homes. I wonder if Chariot will consider adding to London’s community transport and dial-a-ride services during the downtime outside its usual commuter hours.
If you happen to be in London at any point and would like to see the service for yourself, download the Chariot app and use the code at the end of my feature on page 58 for some free trips.
James Day, Minibus Editor
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