Ford is expanding a medical transport service as it attempts to build new ride services based around the Transit commercial van.
Under a multi-year agreement with Michigan healthcare system Beaumont Health, the automaker will use Transit vans to transport patients to medical appointments, or from hospitals to home or rehabilitation centres, Reuters reported.
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It already has 15 vans serving Beaumont facilities as part of a previously announced test project and plans to deploy 60 by the end of the year, the company told the news agency.
But van drivers will not be direct Ford employees, Minyang Jiang, head of the GoRide business, told Reuters.
Ford plans to expand the GoRide medical transport service to other cities and healthcare companies over the next several years, Marion Harris, vice president of Ford's Mobility Business group, told Reuters.
"You will see further announcements," he said.
Ford is still deciding whether GoRide will be the brand solely for non-emergency medical transport, or become a brand used more broadly for Ford's ride services, Harris told Reuters.
