Cruise to offer free rides for Houstonians who need wheelchair repairs
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Cruise will have two vehicles available for rides to Numotion. Photo: Courtesy of Cruise
Cruise, the GM-owned autonomous ride-share company, is partnering with mobility solutions provider Numotion to help Houstonians in need of wheelchair repairs.
Why it matters: The program is designed to shorten wait times for essential repairs, helping more people in Houston live independent lifestyles.
Driving the news: Clients in need of repairs will be able to hail one of two free, human-driven, wheelchair-accessible SUVs to take them to Numotion's facility south of NRG Stadium.
- The pilot program launched last week and will last six months, according to an announcement Wednesday.
Zoom in: The program is available to Numotion customers in 40 ZIP codes across Houston.
- Those in the service area are able to choose to ride with Cruise when scheduling repairs, the companies said.
The intrigue: Typically, Numotion dispatches technicians across the city to service wheelchairs, which is time-consuming and means customers may spend longer without necessary accommodations.
What they're saying: "We're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster," Numotion CEO Mike Swinford said.
- "This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides," Cruise president and chief administration officer Craig Glidden said. "It's about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future."
The big picture: The partnership comes as Cruise continues monitored testing of its autonomous vehicle fleet on Houston streets in anticipation of reintroducing driverless ride-hailing services in the Bayou City.
- The company briefly offered rides to the public in 2023 before halting service amid probes into an incident in California where an autonomous Cruise car dragged a woman who had been struck by a hit-and-run driver.
What we're watching: Cruise hasn't yet disclosed a timeline for when it will end that testing phase and shift back to driverless operations.