Ford is expanding its crowd-sourced Chariot shuttle service to New York to provide in-app ride booking for commuters.

60 Chariot minibuses are expected to be operational in New York by the autumn.

The carmaker acquired the service last September, starting operations in San Francisco before expanding to Austin in Texas.

The debut in New York brings two pre-planned service areas in Manhattan and Brooklyn, at a flat rate of $4 per ride while commuters can crowd-source additional routes.

A total of 60 long wheelbase Ford Transit minibuses are expected to be in operation by the autumn, each carrying more than a dozen people with guaranteed seats and the option to pay through solutions such as WageWorks and commuter checks – which allow people to use pretax wages to pay for commuting costs.

The service is also being backed by enterprise and charter services covering New York City – the Enterprise service will enable companies to book up for shared commutes for employees.

“Our mission at Chariot is to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation for as many people as possible,” said Chariot CEO Ali Vahabzadeh. “We want to connect people more easily to where they want to go – whether they need help making it to a transit hub or live in an area underserved by public transportation.”