PiggyBack Rides to School
A New Way for Chicago Students Without Bus Service
Ismael El-Amin was driving his daughter to school when a chance encounter gave him an idea for a new way to carpool. On the way across Chicago, El-Amin’s daughter spotted a classmate riding with her own dad as they drove to their selective-enrollment public school on the city’s North Side. For 40 minutes, they rode along the same congested highway.
“They’re waving to each other in the back. I’m looking at the dad. The dad’s looking at me. And I was like, parents can definitely be a resource to parents,” said El-Amin, who went on to found PiggyBack Network, a service parents can use to book rides for their children.
Reliance on school buses has waned for years as districts struggle to find drivers and more students attend schools far outside their neighborhoods. As responsibility for transportation shifts to families, the question of how to replace the traditional yellow bus has become an urgent problem for some, and a spark for innovation.
The Problem with School Bus Service
State and local governments decide how widely to offer school bus service. Lately, more have cut back. Only about 28% of U.S. students take a school bus, according to a Federal Highway Administration survey concluded early last year. That’s down from about 36% of students in 2017.
Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest district, has significantly curbed bus service in recent years. It still offers rides for students who are disabled and homeless, in line with a federal mandate, but most families are on their own. Only 17,000 of the district’s 325,000 students are eligible for school bus rides.
The Solution: PiggyBack Network
On PiggyBack Network, parents can book a ride for their student online with another parent traveling the same direction. Rides cost roughly 80 cents per mile, and the drivers are compensated with credits to use for their own kids’ rides.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to not be late to school,” said 15-year-old Takia Phillips, who was driven to school by El-Amin as part of his ride-booking network.
The company has arranged a few hundred rides in its first year operating in Chicago, and El-Amin has been contacting drivers for possible expansion to Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas. It is one of several startups that have filled the void.
Other Solutions
Unlike PiggyBack Network, which connects parents, HopSkipDrive contracts directly with school districts to assist students without reliable transportation. The company launched a decade ago in Los Angeles with three mothers trying to coordinate school carpools and now supports some 600 school districts in 13 states.
Regulations keep HopSkipDrive from operating in some states, including Kentucky, where a group of Louisville students has lobbied to change that.
Conclusion
For families without reliable transportation, the absence of school bus service can be a significant obstacle. Solutions like PiggyBack Network are helping to fill the gap, providing an alternative for students who otherwise might be left behind.
FAQs
* Q: What is PiggyBack Network?
A: PiggyBack Network is a ride-booking service that connects parents who are traveling the same direction and can provide rides for each other’s children.
* Q: How does it work?
A: Parents can book a ride for their student online with another parent traveling the same direction. Rides cost roughly 80 cents per mile, and the drivers are compensated with credits to use for their own kids’ rides.
* Q: Is PiggyBack Network available in other cities?
A: Yes, El-Amin is contacting drivers for possible expansion to Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas.
* Q: What about other solutions?
A: There are other startups, like HopSkipDrive, that are also working to provide transportation alternatives for students without reliable bus service.
