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Blair Steele and BxG bringing Rideshare to Jamaica?

Published:Sunday | March 10, 2019 | 12:00 AMKajamba Fitz-Henley - Automotives Writer

Technology and innovation could easily claim a spot at the pinnacle of the 21st-century inventions. They permeate almost every aspect of daily life. Unsurprisingly, new forms of these coincident concepts have grown and expanded in every area of our lives, including the arenas of transport and automotives. Blair Steele and BxGTM hope to introduce an aspect of this to Jamaica in the form of ‘XIP™ Rideshare Service’.

Rideshare is generally marketed as a frugal transport service, typically manipulated via an app, allowing travellers to access convenient means of transport for relatively inexpensive prices. Rideshare incorporates transportation via bikes/bicycles (Bikeshare) and scooters (Scootershare). Inventor and conceptualiser behind the recently crafted Beyond Extreme Gadgets (BxGTM) brand of motorsport gadgets and inventions, Blair Steele is hoping to introduce this convenient form of transport to the Jamaican public in the near future.

“I anticipate being able to officially introduce this to the public in the last quarter of the year, hopefully, by November,” he said.

How exactly would it work?

XIP™ would function as a bike- and scooter-rental service. Users would be allowed to ‘rent a ride’ via a mobile app and pay as they go along. The step-by-step process is:

1. Top up your XIP™ Rideshare account using XIP™ prepaid cards or pay as you go (credit/debit card required).

2. Locate available rides in your area.

3. Choose the closest on most convenient ride to you.

4. Reserve a ride by scanning the bar code on entering a six-digit code on the bike/scooter/bicycle.

5. Enjoy.

6. Return. Once you are done, users may return rides to a main dock conveniently located around the city. Users are required to return bikes to dock or leave in a safe and legal place.

This type of Rideshare service is popular in countries such as China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Steele is seeking to introduce this concept to Jamaica, primarily to “introduce the public to an enjoyable and economical resolution to traffic issues,” he said. BxG’s XIP™ Rideshare Service would be the first of its kind on the island. Currently, the motorsports gadgets and inventions brand only offers test rides of its invention, a foot-steered recumbent ATV drift trike. Information can be acquired from their Instagram page @bxgbikes or through email at bxgbikes@gmail.com.