I’ll pick you app from school: Taxi service launch for safe transport for kids
BRAINCHILD: Theuns Venter of Durbanville
A new taxi service for school children has been launched that will not only provide safe transport for pupils but also a source of income for parents.
Durbanville parent Theuns Venter came up with the idea in 2017, but it only came to fruition now. The taxi service is available on the D6 School Communicator app.
“In 2017, I went to pick my daughter up from choir practice and while I was there, I saw that there were about 80 cars doing the same thing that I was doing and that is where the idea popped into my head,” he explains.
“I then approached the investment department of my company and they told me that my idea would not be viable in South Africa. But six months after that they called to say that a similar idea is picking up traction in the United States and we picked it up again.”
The dad of four kids – Dirk Wynand, 15, Marcia, 14, Henri, 11, and Pieter, seven – said he then approached D6 because they have a network of over 2500 schools.
“I have four children that all attend four different schools so I needed a massive network for this idea to work, so now parents can access the rides option on the D6 app.
“Parents willing to drive children must have a child at a specific school and they can only offer rides to other children of the same school.
“This ensures that you do not leave your child with somebody that they might not know.
“This will also be a way for some parents who might not be working to earn some money.”
Prices for the rides will be determined by distance with R20 being charged for the first 4km and R5 for every kilometre afterwards – all payable via the D6 app.
He says parents can even check to see if the rides are abiding by lockdown regulations.
“With the app up and running, parents can access and track the rides and according to Covid regulations, the app will show the number of seatbelts available as opposed to the number of seats.
“So if it is a five-seater vehicle, there will be about two seatbelts available.”