After-school transport options for parents and kids in Joburg
Overloading and unroadworthy cars continues to create a crisis for parents who need safe and reliable transport for their kids. We've done the research and found some options for parents.
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Working parents, especially moms, go through a lot. They are either faced with the challenge of balancing work and mom life, mom guilt and exhaustion. Over and above this, they are also dealing with the struggle of finding a convenient and safe transport service for the kids. A lot of parents work very far from their kid’s school system.
The apartheid spatial planning system continues to disadvantage a lot of parents in areas such as Soweto. A lot of them work in Sandton, Midrand and other locations that require them to travel early mornings and are back in the late evening.
Also read: Working moms cannot do it all
If they can’t afford school in these areas, they have to find a local good school, and transport to and fro school.
The common culture in SA locations is what black people call ‘4 4 masihlalisane’ (lets sit together). This means that drivers purposefully overload their cars with too many people just to transport as many as they can all at once.
Some take it overboard. In a more recent case, one driver was arrested for cramming 58 children in a 14-seater taxi.
Chances are, this transport service was very affordable because the driver was taking so many kids all at once.
As parents, there is a lot to compromise on, but your child’s safety is not one of them.
Here are some options, depending on where in Gauteng you are based.
Joburg South
Snappy Cabs & School Transport Service
This is a transportation service company that also offers reliable transport for kids in Joburg South. They are based in Winchester Hills.
Contact person: Marlon
+27 79 722 8110
Joburg North
They offer parents a simple, stress-free solution to ensuring your child has every opportunity to learn and grow. Not only do they drop off and pick up the kids from school, but they can also help parents with extramural activities.
Contact person: Tiffini or Lisa
011 262 2511
East Rand
Kidz-lInk is a ‘”safe and reliable Shuttle Service that would like to offer you peace of mind in getting your children to and from school”. They have been operating since 2011.
Contact person: Betina
081 269 6654
Westrand
Shuttlez offer transport to and from 50 schools in the West Rand area.
Contact person: Hennie Naude
083 378 3937
Pretoria
This is a Pretoria North-based business that also offers an aftercare service to parents who are not at home after school.
Contact person: Nik
081 331 3231
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