2023-08-08 04:28:00
It’s a puzzle that many parents know or have known: how to pin the routes of children’s activities in an already saturated agenda? In rural areas, where public transport sometimes struggles to provide a credible solution, the logistical challenge is all the greater.
Michel Renders found himself faced with an incompatible schedule several times. Ten years ago, he decided to create Sam-Drive, a collective shuttle service which intended to respond to this problem of parents who did not have time to provide daily journeys. “The idea started from a personal need which more specifically concerned the youngest children. For them, it is not always easy to take public transport alone, nor to make the “last kilometer”, the one that separates the bus stop or the station from the place of activity, in a secure way. We do not want to take the place of public transport. Our goal is rather to be complementary”, maintains Michel Renders.
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Not really a taxi
Concretely, it is a vehicle reservation service with driver. On the company’s website or application, it is possible to plan a race by selecting the time and places to connect. A device that does not really differ from conventional taxis. But the boss defends the particularities of his model. “We make short trips within the same municipality, such as picking up children from school to take them to tennis. We organize the trips so that the cars are as full as possible. A way to make each trip more profitable and therefore to lower prices. In addition, our model allows you to book races on a recurring basis, which may be of interest to parents who do not know how to drive children to their activities. I wanted to create a safe system for the whole family. Here, in Lasnes, where the service started, this “last kilometer” sometimes makes it ten or fifteen!”, illustrates the manager.
The service now serves all of Belgium, but retains a strong foothold in certain municipalities of Walloon Brabant, where there are no handling costs.
Small trips are around ten euros per trip. Connecting a BW municipality to the center of Brussels would cost around 90 euros per trip (to be divided according to the number of people in the vehicle).
From now on, Sam-Drive offers other services, such as evening returns, shuttles to airports, or even help and support for seniors. “We go everywhere! We have already driven someone to the Côte d’Azur”, assures Michel Renders, without however specifying the cost of the race.
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Only employees
The operator soon intends to tackle a new niche: last-minute reservations. An ambition that arises when Uber no longer serves Walloon Brabant. “Sam-Drive is not a taxi… nor Uber!”, however, the company defends itself on its website. “All the drivers are on our payroll, we do not use freelancers. All our drivers were also job seekers from the region!” defends the boss. This exclusive use of employees allows better monitoring of drivers. A way, according to the boss, to build trust with users.
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