‘GoKart’ ride-sharing app for children coming to Northeast Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The GoKart ride-sharing app is described as a transportation service for children as young as 6. It’s up and running in North Carolina, and it’s expected to debut in St. Johns County by the end of January.

From soccer practice to tutoring, a child’s schedule can become hectic. But is it crazy enough for parents to reach out to a transportation service for help?

“You do such a hard job teaching them stranger danger and then you’re just going to send them in a car that you don’t know," said Sondra Fetner, a mother. “Mixed feelings, you know?”

Those who work for GoKart understand the hesitations of parents. Many of the workers, like Michelle Reaves, are parents themselves.

“This is a safe service," Reaves said. "A lot of moms are drivers, a lot of teachers are drivers. So they are trusted people that we hire. We wouldn’t hire anyone that we wouldn’t want our own children to be in a vehicle with.”

GoKart is a ride service specifically for children ages 6 to 17. Other rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are not insured to carry passengers under 18.

GoKart has a unique and specific insurance policy to transport minors. It says all of its drivers undergo a rigorous screening and interview process, a multi-jurisdictional background check and a DMV check. Drivers are interviewed by multiple members of GoKart’s senior team before being approved.

Since the app’s launch in 2016, GoKart has already given 19,000 rides in North Carolina.

As for the cost, a ride in North Carolina starts at $17. Pricing for Florida has not been released.