Zoom Ride To Test New Ride-Share Service in Metro Detroit

Developers of a new ride-share service announced the launch of its first national test in the metropolitan Detroit market. The announcement was made with prospective drivers invited to hear about the new company during an Oct. 2 meeting. Zoom Ride is expected to begin providing services in early January 2020.

Detroit will be the first market to test the new ride-share service that will be launched in five U.S. cities in the first year.

In direct competition with Uber Technologies and Lyft Line, founders Bilal Hashwi, chairman, Basel Yasin, CEO say Zoom Ride will fill gaps in the current ride-share marketplace by improving customer and driver safety and increasing income for drivers.

“Metro Detroit is an excellent market to test our ride-share service where there is so much room for expansion,” Yasin told drivers. “A 2018 study showed that 35 percent of Americans now use ride-sharing - up 240 percent in three years. The ride-share market is expecting a 10 times increase in the next decade especially in areas like Detroit where services are underutilized. Currently 67 percent of the Detroit market has never used a ride share. Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago drivers have seen the largest growth in rider services and increases in driver wages.”

In yesterday’s meeting prospective drivers reviewed the results of a driver focus group that helped to determine driver needs and empowerment within the marketplace with specially designed payment schedules, benefits, call center support and bonus perks.

Unique driver and customer safety programs will be key to Zoom Ride’s success. The Zoom app has more than 10 functions not available by its competitors. For instance, the app will display photos of both the driver and the passenger as an additional safety precaution. Work is underway to utilize video monitoring in vehicles and based on requests from women passengers there will be an opportunity for women to request a female driver for added comfort and security. Elite services including programs for the elderly and children are expected to be added in the first 12 months as well.

“There are many reasons Zoom Ride will thrive in the industry. The uniqueness of our services and safety measures supersedes what is currently offered in the market. Zoom Ride will change local residents’ views of ridesharing and be a lifestyle choice for metro Detroiters in the future.” Hashwi said.

Hashwi is a former benchmarking program manager for Ford Motor Company and senior engineer at Magna International. He has also worked for Delphi Automotive and Visteon. Yasin, former head of Panasonic Qatar NAS Group, has also served as manager at LG Electronics Levant and product manager for LG Electronics Saudi.

Zoom Ride is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan and can be found online at MyZoomRide.com.