With vehicles ferrying students packed like sardines and instances of drunk driving on the rise, working parents often find themselves on edge, struggling with unreliable transport services for their children.
To address this, a Bengaluru-based start-up is offering MetroRide Kids, an app-based service that promises to offer safe and reliable transport for children (5-16 years) to schools, coaching centres, and after-school activities.
The startup, which recently launched its services in Hyderabad, plans to expand to its home city. As part of this, it will collaborate with parents, hire trained drivers, equip vehicles with CCTV cameras and GPS tracking devices, and deploy electric vehicles for its operations.
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“We launched this service using Tata electric cars in Hyderabad. In many cases, children were travelling in unsafe conditions—like autos ferrying eight children or vans overcrowded with 18. Telangana RTO (regional transport office) even impounded several such vehicles recently. Bengaluru has similar issues, with the traffic police booking school bus drivers for drunk driving. We aim to change all of that,” said Girish Nagpal, CEO and co-founder of MetroRide.
Claiming to be India’s first app-based transport service exclusively for children, Nagpal said MetroRide Kids offers transportation to and from schools, tuition classes, sports training, music lessons and swimming classes. The company currently operates 25 vehicles in Hyderabad and plans to scale up as demand grows.
The startup plans to start its service in Bengaluru within three months. “We’re in the process of raising our next round of funding to support this expansion. We’ve already received interest from parents in Bengaluru and are in talks with two schools and colleges in South Bengaluru. Because buses cannot go everywhere, parents have to walk half a kilometre to reach the pickup point. As a result, schools risk losing admissions if they are unable to provide transportation. Our service can fill this gap,” said Nagpal.
The startup is using technology to ensure child safety. Features include live CCTV monitoring during rides, GPS tracking for real-time updates and geofencing to prevent vehicles from straying outside designated travel zones. An SOS button connects to a rapid response team in case of emergencies, while vehicle immobilisers allow the control centre to override vehicle inputs. Advanced AI systems track drivers’ behaviour to ensure safe and responsible driving. To avoid errors, children boarding or alighting is through RFID card scans, which send real-time notifications to parents.
“All drivers undergo rigorous psychometric evaluations and police verification. Only those with the highest safety scores are certified to ensure the well-being of children,” said Nagpal.
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The service offers shared and private rides with flexible subscription options, including weekly and monthly plans.
“Smaller vehicles are used to carry fewer passengers, which reduces travel time. Optimised routing ensures children reach their destinations faster, which will minimise stress and fatigue,” said Nagpal.
“Currently, only about 40 percent of students use school buses, with many relying on unsafe alternatives like vans and auto rickshaws, or being dropped off by parents. MetroRide Kids aims to bridge this gap with reliable, tech-enabled solutions,” he said.
MetroRide, the parent company, has been operating electric autos and cars for last-mile connectivity at metro stations in Bengaluru and Hyderabad since 2020.
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