Kango - student transportation

I prefer HopSkipDrive for a few different reasons. 1) In the Kango app, often times you type out messages just for them to disappear before sending. 2) The company has a 24/hr cancellation policy and if you cancel within that 24 hours - DOWN TO THE MINUTE - they will charge you 90 - 95% off the full cost, supposedly to pay the drivers. For an app that caters to childcare, they should know that emergencies come up. This is not like Uber where you can get a ride on demand so most rides will be prebooked. If your kid’s school calls and you end up having to pick them up early, or if your child gets sick in the middle of the night, or whatever, even if you cancel 8 hrs, 10 hrs ahead of time, you will have to pay pretty much the entire cost of the full ride. Drivers have enough time to find other rides with several hours notice so their policy is just a cash grab. Cancellation fees are not unreasonable, but there should be a scale that makes sense. Why would I be paying $31 for a $33 ride that was cancelled 23 hrs ahead of time? 3) Kango’s rides are expensive - especially in comparison to HopSkipDrive which also has background cleared drivers and ride tracking - and they have the nerve to also add a gratuity screen on the payment screen. We tipped HopSkipDrive drivers but the rides cost over $10 less in most instances anyway. 4) Support takes forever to message you back and often they do not fully answer your questions. Kango is preying on needy parents/caregivers and I advise you to stay away unless absolutely in desperate need.

Late last week a young girl, Camille E. In the Los Angeles area accepted all our ride on her own volition. This morning at 6:58 am, 2 minutes before the scheduled 7:00 am pick up time, Kango informed me Camilla Ellis was running 20 minutes behind, when my instructions made clear our son had to be on the road no later than 7:05 to arrive to school on time. Rather than take responsibility they cover for her claiming she had a medical emergency. So you’re telling me at 6:58 am she suddenly had an emergency that would only make her 20 mins late? Not, cancel? I told them to remove her and they try to find another driver. The only driver would arrive at 7:50 am. We have a PERFECT attendance record, and Kango’s unreliability almost cost us. I asked them to remove her from all requests and they did not listen, so I edited the ride to remove her from the rest of the rides. They send her a request re rebook. I had to make it clear a second time that she is not allowed to drive our son. Someone who cannot be timely and reliable is not responsible enough to drive a minor. I do not need to test out and see if her lack of responsibility will put our son at risk.

I’ve very much enjoyed working for Kango as a ride share driver! Since it’s not an on-demand service (unlike Lyft) you know your schedule ahead of time & sometimes have breaks between scheduled rides, so the pace can be more relaxed. The fares are higher too. Plus the passengers are all sweet kids, many of whom you get to know over time (and whose parents request you to be their driver going forward). Also the flexibility is second to none. I have five part time jobs and doing Kango has been a great fit for me because some weeks I work every day, but then when I have a busy week with my other work or go out of town, there’s no obligation. Highly recommended for fellow gig-lifers!