RideTandem’s shuttle services have completed more than 2 million journeys - supporting people to get to work and businesses to hire faster, further and more sustainably.
Five years ago, founders Alex Shapland-Howes, Tatseng Chiam and Huw McLeod set out to create a new way to commute - supporting employers, recruitment agencies and workers themselves to use a 24/7, fully-managed service.
A defining moment in RideTandem’s journey came in Rochdale, near Manchester when the trio spoke to a group of unemployed dads. They revealed the biggest challenge holding them back from undertaking full-time employment was that all of the available jobs were a 30 minute drive away – and they had no way of getting to them.
From that moment, RideTandem was born and today, celebrating this milestone, we’re celebrating the incredible difference our transport makes to people in the UK and Germany every single day.
Growing fast
From the day RideTandem was created in late 2019, it took until summer 2023 to reach our first million passenger journeys. Barely 10 months later, we’ve doubled it.
2 million journeys in numbers
- 2 million journeys is enough to have taken the entire population of Fiji to work and back
- Helped avoid 16,000+ tons of C02
- Enabled people to earn £66m in wages
Beyond the numbers: Transforming lives
While the numbers are impressive, what we’re most proud of is hearing the stories of businesses and people that use our services every day.
We've seen thousands of people take jobs they couldn’t have reached without our transport while supporting businesses to improve staff retention and hire large numbers of staff quickly during peak seasons like Black Friday and Christmas.
Collette’s story
One of our first passengers was a woman called Collette. She was working as a cleaner in Skelmersdale just outside Liverpool. Every day she struggled to get to work. It was too far to walk from her home to work, there was no public transport available for that journey and she couldn’t afford to buy and run a car.
To get to work every day, Collette took a taxi back and forth, which meant she spent her first hour’s wage just getting to work and her last hour’s wage getting back home.
From this moment, we knew we were on the right path.
And from there we have built a service to be proud of - becoming the only B Corp-certified specialist commuter service, gaining Living Wage Employer status and being named one of the best places to work in the UK by the Sunday Times.
Without the coach we just wouldn’t be able to get to work. The only other way would be a taxi which would be expensive. The journey to and from work is great. It’s peaceful, comfortable and fun.
Connor, RideTandem passenger
A journey of innovation and growth
Reaching 2 million journeys wouldn't have been possible without continuous innovation and improvements to our service.
We've expanded our service areas, optimised route planning, and invested in a user-friendly app that makes booking rides seamless. We've also fostered a strong network of dedicated transport operators who share our vision of a more inclusive transportation system.
Our technology is what makes this journey possible - giving businesses real-time data from their services and allowing passengers to book single, return or batch tickets within our app.
The passenger app, available on Apple and Android, is now available in 13 languages and the easy-to-use app makes it 57% faster to board passengers on each vehicle.
Looking Ahead: The road to 3 million and beyond
As we celebrate this milestone, we're also setting our sights on the future.
We're constantly exploring ways to improve our services, expand our reach, and connect even more individuals with the opportunities they deserve.
RideTandem's success is a testament to the power of collective action. If you haven't already, we invite you to join us on this incredible journey.
Here's how you can be part of the movement:
- Partner with us as a Transport Operator: Find out more about becoming a Transport Operator partner and how you can work with us to provide services for large businesses like Next and Royal Mail.
- Offer a shuttle service to your employees: Whether you’ve got parking issues, struggling to hire and retain staff or just want to cut Scope 3 emissions, our services can support you. Find out how it works.
- Spread the word: Tell your friends, family, and colleagues about RideTandem. The more people who know about us, the more lives we can impact.
RideTandem can set up routes anywhere in the UK, from 4 to 70+ seats, short or long-term.
Together, we can create a more sustainable commute and support people into work.
