By Eren Simpson
If you’re a parent with multiple kids, all with different after-school schedules, or you’re a working parent who has to be at work before the bus comes to pick up the kids for school … the struggle to figure out how to be everywhere at once is over.
Bizzy Kidz Kab Company, which began offering its services in the Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Charlotte areas in spring 2015, was designed to meet the needs of parents, no matter their schedule.
Founder Niketa Galloway, who worked in the mortgage industry for 15 years, was used to working 50-60 hours a week while also juggling the schedules of her two children. Her high school-aged daughter often ended up playing chauffeur for her younger son, and the family joked about feeling like a cab service so many times that eventually the idea stuck.
Soon Galloway and her husband found themselves seriously considering starting a transportation service for kids.
After they sorted out the logistics, Bizzy Kidz received its license in February and started running in May, providing transportation for a summer camp. Since the start of the school year, Bizzy Kidz has grown its ridership by about two kids a week and now has a total of 23 registered riders, and Galloway is no longer in the mortgage business and is full-time with Bizzy Kidz.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting the growth we’ve had, but it’s a blessing. It’s rewarding when I get a text or email from parents and they say how this has really helped them. It’s what I set out to do – help parents and kids, and that’s what’s happening.”
Because Bizzy Kidz transports children ages 3 and up, they all have to be registered by their parents, so they don’t do random pick-ups like a traditional cab company might. Bizzy Kidz also offers non-emergency medical transportation and an after-hours emergency pick-up service for parents who get called into a late meeting or get stuck in traffic and can’t pick up their kids from school or day care on time.
Because Galloway knows how important it is for parents and kids to feel safe and comfortable, when each child is registered, she visits their homes to show the kids the vehicle, meet the parents and answer any questions. She stresses that all drivers are over 18, CPR-certified, DOT licensed and trained, and every vehicle has a first aid kit and fire extinguisher on board.
“Safety is our main concern,” Galloway said.
So what does Bizzy Kidz cost an average family? It depends on mileage, but on average, it’s about $70 a week. Galloway said most parents pay to have their kids chauffeured three to five days a week, so they pay a weekly rate, while other registered riders pay a daily round-trip rate if they need the service only every couple of weeks.
Galloway has big plans for Bizzy Kids in 2016. She is hoping to have a partnership worked out with Charlotte Douglas International Airport to transport kids who fly solo to Charlotte, and to be approved by Medicaid so the company can provide its services to low-income families.
Galloway said studies have shown that extracurricular activities help create kids who are healthier, well-rounded and more social than other kids, and she is committed to helping all kids access those opportunities.
“I don’t want our service to just be available for one class of people,” Galloway said. “I’m going to keep pushing to make it happen so these kids can get what they need. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’m going to do my best to help the kids in the community.”
For more information, visit www.bizzykidzkabcompany.com