As school bus services decline, the Piggyback Network offers a solution by allowing parents to book rides for their children, addressing growing transportation issues.

In Chicago, significant cuts to bus services have left only 17,000 out of 325,000 students eligible for transportation, primarily affecting disabled and homeless students.

The decrease in school bus usage is largely due to driver shortages and an increase in students enrolling in schools outside their neighborhoods, with only 28% of U.S. students using school buses as of early 2023.

Ismael El-Amin founded the Piggyback Network after a chance encounter while driving his daughter to school in Chicago, where he recognized the potential for parent-to-parent carpooling.

In its first year, the Piggyback Network has successfully arranged several hundred rides and is considering expansion into states like Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas due to high demand.

The case of Jerren Samuel, a boy with autism, highlights how services like HopSkipDrive can cater to specific transportation needs when traditional options are unavailable.

Companies such as HopSkipDrive and Kango prioritize safety by conducting thorough background checks on drivers and providing real-time tracking for parents.

Parents using these services appreciate the safety measures in place, including extensive driver background checks and the ability to track their children's whereabouts in real-time.

Other startups like HopSkipDrive and Kango are also addressing the transportation gap for students, with HopSkipDrive currently serving over 600 school districts across 13 states.

The CEO of HopSkipDrive has indicated that the shortage of bus drivers signifies a structural change in the industry that requires urgent attention and innovative solutions.

Kango, which began as a carpooling app, now contracts with school districts, offering drivers higher pay and additional responsibilities.

In response to the changing landscape of school transportation, parents are increasingly utilizing carpooling services to ensure their children arrive at school on time.