Five Am. The alarm signals the start of another day. It is another day of enduring the pain and stress of Johannesburg’s congested roads. By 06h30 the family is ready to leave home. The trip to two different schools – high school and primary – is just five kilometers from home. However, the journey can take anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes.From the final school drop off it is another 12 km to the office. Still you are pressed for time to arrive by 08h00. That is 90 minutes to travel 17 kms or under 10 km/h! It may be faster to walk – but just as dangerous.At 13h00 it is time to collect junior. You make the 14h00 collection time of senior (late), drop them at home and if you’re lucky, you’re back in the office by 14h45. That is of course, if there are no extra murals…The end-of-day journey can take another hour. In total, that is some three hours running between home and school in one day! In winter, you leave home when it’s dark and return in the dark. Dinner is an additional burden after battling taxi drivers, driving too fast, gesticulating at any slower cars ahead of you and avoiding grid locked intersections where the traffic lights are out of order – again! In the absence of an efficient, safe public transportation system in Johannesburg, an increasing number of parents are turning to school lift clubs to ease the burden of daily traffic nightmares. “Lifting services are taking some of the pressures off parents – particularly single parents with more than one child who find they really cannot cope with the daily school transfer demands,” comments Chantelle Oosthuizen of First Class Transfers in Johannesburg.However, Chantelle warns that parents need to look closely at the transport option they select to transfer their precious cargo.“Many fly by night operators are out to make a quick buck from desperate parents,” she adds.There are a number of questions that should be asked of a transporter.1. Ask for references2. Ensure the operator has a valid licensed driver with PDP status.3. Ensure that the operator offers public liability insurance.4. Ask about first aid qualifications of the driver5. Query the condition of the vehicles used to transport children6. Know the number of children being transported at any given time7. Request a schedule of drop offs8. Ensure that the operator is up-to-date with the drop off and collection times of your child/ren9. For safety reasons it is better to request a door-to-door shuttle. The driver should ensure that a child enters their home safely, before departing10. Ensure that the driver/operator has an up-to-date list of contact numbers in case of emergency.
Contact Details:ISSUED BY: FIRST CLASS SERVICES 082 469 3831For further information about school transfer options in Johannesburg:Chantelle on 082 469 3831 info@firstclasstransfers.co.za http://www.firstclasstransfers.co.za