ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 8, 1996 TAG: 9602080012
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITER
IT IS A COMMON EVENT in a parent's life - being stuck at an appointment with no way to get Junior home from school. But there's a logical enough solution.
Busy parents now have another place to turn when they just can't get off work to pick up their kids from karate practice.
Precious Cargo Shuttles Inc., a private van service, offers rides to and from school, basketball practice, orthodonist appointments and just about anywhere else kids ages 2 to 16 need to go.
And during the day, while children are in school, Precious Cargo works with the LOA Area Agency on Aging and several retirement communities to drive elderly clients to medical appointments, grocery stores and to run other errands.
The goal of Precious Cargo, said company President Vince Stover, is to provide flexibility.
"Many organizations offer some transportation, but it's usually pre-scheduled, pre-routed trips," he said.
Since it went into business in November, Precious Cargo has been providing door-to-door service within a 15-mile radius of Roanoke. Passengers pay a $4.75 flat fee per trip, plus 50 cents per mile, with discounts for frequent use. The 15-passenger van runs seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Plans are in the works to buy a second van, Stover said.
Because the service is licensed by the state Department of Motor Vehicles to operate within a 50-mile radius, Stover said the company eventually wants to offer group outings to the New River Valley and Lynchburg. These field trips likely will start once the weather warms up, he said.
In the meantime, Stover said, he's trying to establish regular daily routes. The van already makes daily runs to and from school for several groups of children who live near one another.
Rob Hainsworth, chief executive officer of the National Child Transport Association, said setting up pre-scheduled routes is a smart idea. "Most of the operators find out very quickly that running their business taxicab style isn't very efficient," he said.
Over the last few years, similar private transportation services have started up in Northern Virginia and Richmond. The child transportation industry as a whole has been around for about four years, Hainsworth said.
In the early 1990s, just a handful of companies provided private transportation for children and senior citizens. Today, Hainsworth estimates, the number has reached nearly 300. The Naples, Fla.-based child transport association, which was organized a year ago, counts about 200 members, including Precious Cargo.
Growth of the industry has followed the growth in the number of dual-income and single-parent families, Hainsworth said. More children are involved in after-school activities because busy parents don't want them home alone, he said, and these children need reliable rides.
The NCTA is in the process of writing a set of guidelines for members, which will expand on the state licensing required for such companies.
"A good operator will sell not the transportation but the peace of mind," Hainsworth said.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. 1. Company President Vince Stoverby CNB(from left), his daughter Kayla, 2, driver Richard Kidd and business
partner Ron Wood show off their 15-seat van in Roanoke. Precious
Cargo has been in business since November. color.