Moms create new rideshare app to safely transport teens

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As a working parent, getting your children to and from school and activities can be quite the headache.

VanGo just launched in Houston to take the stress away from parents on the go.

It's a rideshare app, like Uber or Lyft, with one major difference: all of the drivers are heavily vetted and have childcare experience.

"VanGo is a ride service. We provide rides with local vetted drivers for pre-teens and teens," said Marta Jamrozik, Founder and CEO of Vango.

It's a free app that you can download straight to your smartphone.

Rebecca Kaul is a full-time working mom in Houston with two children, ages 10 and 12. After countless nights of searching on the internet for a solution to get them to camps this summer, VanGo finally popped up.

"I'm able to reserve online a safe driver that's a mom or nanny with a significant amount of childcare service," said Kaul.

Driver Claudia Pinto is a mom of two herself. She simply needed something flexible to do *for* a few hours a week, but it turned into so much more than that.

"There's a great connection with the kids and you get to be part of their activities and part of their family in a way," said Pinto.

VanGo, like other rideshare services, charges you for time and distance.

"We are more expensive than an Uber or Lyft by about 15-20 percent just because we do have a more intense vetting process," said Jamrozik.

Kaul is willing to pay to ensure the safety of her children this upcoming school year.

"Before I found this, I priced out calling a car servicing company and this is about a third of the cost," said Kaul.

Kaul sends her kids roughly 15 to 20 miles away from home and the average cost of the ride is $30.

More than 85 percent of these vetted drivers are moms. All drivers must have at least three years of experience with children, a clean background check, reference check, finger printing and a car inspection.

VanGo is currently hiring drivers. If you meet the qualifications, you can apply online at ridevango.com.