Businesses are being asked if they’d be interested in trialling ride-hailing minibuses in London as Transport for London (TfL) explores the introduction of new services.

Ford started its Chariot commuter shuttle services using minibuses in London in February 2018

The services would be run in addition to existing TfL buses and would transport nine passengers or more, possibly through an on-demand minibus ordered through an app or a service running on a semi-fixed route that can be diverted to pick up individual passengers.

Trials, if they went ahead, would run for 12 months using a small number of vehicles and targeting outer London where car dependency is high and other forms of public transport are less viable.

TfL’s director of transport innovation, Michael Hurwitz, said: “We want to understand the potential of new TfL demand responsive services to improve public transport for all Londoners. Any potential trial would be a new TfL service designed to support the existing local transport network, improve accessibility and London’s air quality.”