The Ride-Sharing Concept
It differs from mass transit because mass transit uses a set schedule. In ride-sharing, the passenger’s desired schedule matches that of the driver. At least, that was the original concept when the first apps appeared.
Now, the concept more closely resembles calling a cab. Ride-sharing app companies carry similar insurance to taxi services. In most cases, the driver owns the vehicle. They drive their own car, van, or SUV and set their own hours. A rideshare driver would only operate their vehicle when they wanted to drive, unlike a mass transit driver, who works a set schedule each week.
In the case of rideshare companies like Zum, which operates mini-buses and buses, the drivers must obtain commercial driver’s licenses if they want to drive vehicles of a certain size. These newer companies merge the concept of rideshare and mass transit.
You can use an app to find a ride to any school, college, etc. that you would travel to each weekday. These hybrid transit services own the vehicles operated, shuttling those in neighborhoods underserved by school buses and regular mass transit.
More Convenient, Just as Safe
The latest innovation in ride-sharing, that of rides to school each weekday, makes traveling to school more convenient for families. You no longer need to wake your children up hours before school so they can catch a school bus that delivers them up to an hour before the first bell. The entire household can sleep to a normal time and the children can leave at a suitable time to arrive at school on time, but not horrifically early. This lets parents get a bit more sleep, too.
Those neighborhoods less than a mile from school that never qualified for bus service can now enjoy rides to school. This alleviates the duty of parents needing to drive the children to school on their way to work and simplifies every person’s schedule.
The ride-sharing app companies use the same minimum requirements as the state and school districts they serve for hiring drivers, so your child still has the same driver quality. Some rideshare companies add requirements to improve safety.
School Commuter Ride-sharing Apps
The ride-sharing app has made its way to serving school kids and their bus commute. These private companies can add further requirements to the school bus driver qualifications. Requiring added education levels, training requirements, such as defensive driving classes, etc. provides them a competitive edge that lets them stand out from other companies.
Today’s school bus drivers and school bus systems probably don’t resemble the system you remember from grade school days. Today’s methods keep kids safer and get them to school on a more suitable schedule.
