A New Brunswick-based ridesharing service is expanding to the Saint John region.

Zippy initially launched in Moncton earlier this year and now operates in several communities.

Sash Selvaratnam, the founder and CEO, said they offer ride-hailing services and on-demand delivery.

“The drivers are independent contractors and we wanted to provide them more opportunities, so this was why we tried to combine the two offerings through an app experience,” Selvaratnam told our newsroom.

Selvaratnam said their services are available to both individuals and businesses. For example, a company can hire them as a transportation service for employees or to deliver items.

Zippy recently received approval to operate in Rothesay but the company’s founder said they will be able to serve customers throughout the Saint John region.

The company is also actively deployed in Fredericton, Edmundston, Bathurst, Tracadie and Miramichi, among other areas, said Selvaratnam.

Zippy has already started to hire drivers in the Saint John region, with a goal of having the new service up and running in January.

“We don’t have exact counts because we also want to see what the volumes look like as well and the interest from the community. So, always our model is start small and then grow,” said Selvaratnam.

“They also have a lot of flexibility as well with us because they don’t have a schedule. They’re like their own boss, and the closest thing to like an Uber experience you’ll find in the province, if I was being straightforward.”

Thunder Bay-based ridesharing service Uride was the first to arrive in the Saint John region just over a year ago.