Part Uber, part nanny: Meet the Jersey City dad who created a ride-sharing program for kids

A Jersey City dad has created a national ride-sharing company that will help parents make sure that their kids get home from school safely.
Norbert Sygdziak describes his company RideAlong as part Uber, part carpool and part nanny. He says that traditional school buses may not always be an option for some parents.
“A lot of towns do provide buses. A lot of towns also don’t, as well. Because it depends on how many people live in the area. How big the town is,” Sygdziak says.
RideAlong will provide car service for kids as young as 4 between home and school and their after-school activities. Sygdziak says that safety was his main reason to start the company, with convenience being a close second.
Our service is more created for the parents of having the option to use something a little scheduled, based on their schedule. The busing service from schools really starts and finishes when school ends. A lot of parents’ days don't finish at that time,” he says.
The young passengers will have the same driver every day so that they get to know one another. Parents will be in constant contact with the driver. Those drivers will also go through an extensive background check and then ongoing training and testing.
Sygdziak started the company in August, and in that time, it has gone national.
“What I like to call us is a rideshare nanny, right? Because in that sense, in that period of time we take care of the kids, we do take them home. The parents kind of feel about us as if we are an extension of the house,” he says.
The drivers will sign the younger kids out of school and then walk them to the vehicle and buckle them in. They will wait outside for older children.
Many RideAlong drivers are retired law enforcement officers. More information can be found on the company’s website.