CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From bus driver shortages to fewer routes, parents are being forced to find new ways to get their kids to school, which is a difficult challenge for many families.
Driver shortages and budget cuts are just a few of the items impacting ridership. School bus services are declining nationwide. Data shows only 28% of students now take the bus, down from 36% in 2017. However, that hasn't been the case in Charlotte, where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools started the new year with approximately 6,000 more riders.
With families now on their own to find reliable transportation, ideas like the PiggyBack Network are stepping in to help.
Founded in Chicago, PiggyBack Network has arranged a few hundred rides in its first year of operation. Founder Ismael El-Amin has been contacting drivers for possible expansion in Virginia, North Carolina and Texas, according to the Associated Press.
"It's an opportunity for kids to not be late to school," a 15-year-old student said about PiggyBack Network.
It connects parents to carpool kids heading in the same direction. Parents book rides online and for about 80 cents per mile and drivers can earn credits for their own kids' rides. Other companies, like HopSkipDrive and Kango, have also partnered with schools for safe transportation.
The options help fill critical gaps for families struggling to get children to school. With bus driver shortages likely here to stay, solutions like these help get kids to class and on the right track.