Tuesday 30 January 2018 3:59 pm

Ford’s Chariot commuter shuttle bus service has just started on four London routes

Ford's Chariot commuter shuttle bus service has got underway this week, after getting the green light from Transport for London (TfL) on four of the six routes it proposed.

In a statement, the car giant said:

Chariot’s commuter ride-share service will complement the existing public transport system by offering in-app ride booking for first- and last-mile commuting solutions, and the potential to reach underserved areas. Further details of the service will be provided soon.

The service operates using "off-bus electronic ticketing". Passengers use an app to find commuter routes near them, reserve a seat, and also use the app to pay.

The four new routes

Wandsworth Wanderer – between Wandsworth Riverside and Clapham Junction station

Shooters Hill Shot – between Shooters Hill and North Greenwich station

Nuxley Navigator – between Carlton Road, Erith and Abbey Wood station

Battersea Bullet – between Battersea Park and Kennington station

Two routes that were not successful were the "Southwark Shortcut" between St Georges Way and Bermondsey Underground Station, and the "Riverside Racer" between Fulham Riverside and Holland Park Station.

“Following public consultation on the potential benefits of the service, the Riverside Racer and Southwark Shortcut routes were deemed not to serve the interest of the London public, based on feedback from TfL," Ford said. "Chariot’s priority at the moment is to successfully launch and operate the service on the current four routes and provide Londoners with an improved commuting experience.”

The Wandsworth route has been green lit for nine months, and the others for a year.

The company's Chariot service uses a fleet of Ford 15-seater transit vans to ferry passengers along popular routes in the likes of San Francisco and Austin, Texas, as well as New York.

The new routes will run Monday to Friday apart from public holidays, as Ford looks to supplement public transit bus routes and local trains with commuter routes that are not as well served by the existing options.