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For some employees, shared transport can be the only way to reach their workplace. Thanks to support from Opportunity Peterborough, Ride Tandem has launched worker shuttle services with two employment agencies in the city.

Alex Shapland-Howes, CEO, said, “It’s early days in both partnerships, but we’ve been helping workers start new roles in sites they just couldn’t get to without us. We’re now talking to some of the larger local employers and are looking to expand our work in the city further.”

In partnership with the employment agencies, Tandem gets workers to client sites outside the city centre where it can be difficult to travel to using public transport, especially for the certain shift times. Tandem’s technology allows workers to make a small contribution towards the cost of booked journeys, just like buying a bus ticket, and journeys are booked with local licensed taxi, minibus and coach companies.

Tandem was first introduced to Opportunity Peterborough after working in East Northamptonshire. “The team have been very generous with their time and have made introductions to a number of key stakeholders locally, including the City Council and larger businesses. Many of these people we simply wouldn’t have been able to reach without them. They’ve been incredibly supportive and generous with their time and connections. A real pleasure to work with!”

Talking about the impact of COVID-19, Shapland-Howes added, “The safety of passengers and drivers is paramount and we’ve put a number of measures in place.  

“For instance, we’ve started using coaches and minibuses as well as taxis; a larger vehicle can offer better social distancing inside. We’ve also introduced additional sanitation measures like anti-viral fogging and air filtration systems so vehicles are safe before passengers board and in transit.

“We’re also ensuring passengers only rideshare with colleagues to lower the risk of spreading COVID between different workplaces. In a post-Covid world, we’ll start to pool passengers from multiple employers again when it is safe to do so.

“Despite all the challenges, I’m pleased to say we’ve grown significantly over the last year and are now working in several areas of the UK from Peterborough to Hull!”