Ford China, Tian Jin Travel team up on dynamic bus service pilot program

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Ford Motor (China) Co.,Ltd (Ford China) has conducted the “dynamic bus service” pilot program in cooperation with Tian Jin Travel, a Tianjin-based ride-hailing and hourly car rental services provider, to offer Chinese consumers more convenient travelling solutions based on China’s urban traffic characteristics, according to the automaker.

(Photo source: Ford Media Center)

The pilot program is designed to offer point-to-point passenger shuttle service among primary transport hubs in Tianjin. Based on Tianjin’s traffic features and global experience in smart travelling pilot programs, Ford China provides innovative and dynamic route algorithm for this service so as to match orders and vehicles in real time and optimize the dispatching of routes and cars.

As the operator of the pilot program, Tian Jin Travel is to offer a platform and service, and manage drivers and vehicles by virtue of its ride-hailing service operational qualification, experience, complete full-time driver group and well grasp of local traffic and passengers’ traits.

(Photo source: Ford Media Center)

Through a preliminary investigate and survey, Ford China found out that there are huge demands for local users to travel among the Tianjin Binhai New Area CBD, Tianjin Airport and Tianjin Railway Station. Taking buses not only costs more time but also hardly realize point-to-point transport while using taxies or ride-hailing services are quite expensive. These are all paint points need to be solved especially for those users who are frequently on business trips and urgently want a travelling solution with reasonable price and comfortable services when buses are idle late at night.

(Photo source: Ford Media Center)

The “dynamic bus service” is launched to cope with the aforementioned problems. Using Ford Tourneo MPVs that can accommodate up to 6 passengers, the program offers round-the-clock point-to-point pickup and delivery services to users shuttling among busy areas with full-time chauffeurs. Besides, users are allowed to make an appointment 30 minutes ahead of their demanded departure time via Tian Jin Travel’s App or Wechat mini program and they will be received the optimal route from the platform which has matched vehicles and calculated consumers’ pick-up time based on dynamic route algorithm. Passengers will arrive at their destinations within 75 minutes while only spend one third of fare if using a taxi.

The pilot program officially began at the end of February and has so far fulfilled 2,000 orders.