Parents Turn to Ride-Hailing as Schools Pull Bus Transportation
As school districts cut funding for student transportation, parents are increasingly turning to ride-hailing apps to get their kids to school, reports Jeff McMurray for the Associated Press. The Chicago Public School district, the fourth largest in the nation, now only offers bus service to disabled and homeless students, making only 17,000 of the district’s 325,000 students eligible for rides.
The change is concerning, as it is likely to put far more vehicles on roadways than using school buses. And while some parents can afford to arrange alternate transportation, others have had to pull their kids out of school. Now, new ridesharing services are catering to these parents, promising stricter background checks and requirements for drivers and offering rates lower than typical ride-hailing.
