New research has revealed the extent that parents are actually ferrying their kids around and with a huge cost related, one ingenious car company has built an app where parents can charge their kids.
The study from Skoda found that parents drive approximately 1,648 additional miles a year, journeys that if they were travelled in taxis could cost in the region of £12,565, based on the average London taxi cost-per-mile rate.
With two thirds of parents admitting that they feel as though they are a taxi service for their kids, Skoda have invented the Parent Taxi app, which calculates household chores such as cleaning the car, feeding the family pet and tidying the bedroom. In exchange for completing these chores, kids can now gain access to journey time in their parents car - in essence paying the ‘taxi fare’ themselves.
The app has been tested out by one of the UK’s most prominent bloggers, Jo Middleton, who trialled it with her daughter Belle and was pleased with the results.
“This is the app I've been waiting for!” said Jo. “It's true that kids generally have a better social life than adults and as result that can mean a lot of car journeys each week. Although I love encouraging them to get out and do more, I think it's a great idea to swap miles for some help around the house in return.”
The research revealed that almost half of the parents surveyed used the taxi-time to catch up with their kids, and that 44 per cent don’t mind the journeys as it ensures their kids are out doing things.