Ford challenges Uber in Kansas City with on-demand bus service

By Adam Westlake/Feb. 11, 2016 5:11 am EST

Residents of Kansas City are about to get a new option in on-demand, ride sharing services. Ford has announced that it's teaming up with the Boston-based Bridj to bring its on-demand shuttle service to the city, making use of the former's Transit vans, which are often used in the commercial sector for carrying equipment. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority says the service will debut in early March with 10 Ford shuttles hitting the streets.

Similar to Uber, users can request a ride with just a tap in Bridj's mobile app for iOS and Android. They can then meet the shuttle at a pick-up location closest to them, with existing bus stops often used. Ford and Bridj say the service's aim to better serve the neighborhoods that don't get as much coverage from existing public transportation.

While it might sound like it differs little from typical bus services, the cost premium for rides includes a number of advantages. Users tell the service ahead of time where they want to be picked up and their destination, and once they've selected a time, one of the Transit van's 14 seats is reserved in their name.

As a pilot program, the 10 Ford vehicles will be in operation for 1 year, serving locations including downtown Kansas City, the near east and west sides, Hospital Hill, Crown Center, parts of Midtown, University of Kansas Medical Center, and the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz districts. The organizers add that as they collect more data and rider demand improves, more locations will be added.

Ford, Bridj, and KCATA are promoting the program as the US's "first public-private collaboration [to] bring together a major US transit system, an automaker, and an urban technology company to enhance existing mass transit." And as Bridj CEO Matt George puts it, "only 18 percent of jobs in the Kansas City region are accessible within 90 minutes when using existing mass transit options," so there's a great chance the service could make a positive difference for commuters.

SOURCE Ford