Driving your kids to and from school in Cape Town can be a lovely thing. It gives you a precious daily chance to chat with them and a daily chance to take your mind off work. That said, the school run can sometimes be anything but a lovely thing— traffic in Cape Town can be ugly at the best of times, and the worst of times is from 7 am to 8 am, precisely because of the school run. Factor in petrol costs and your family’s carbon footprint, and it makes a lot of sense to join a lift club.
But how does one find the right ‘carpool’—while ensuring the experience is safe, pleasant and not a source of a whole new kind of stress?
Here’s your complete guide to joining or starting a lift club to make your school run easier and headache-free.
A lift club is an informal arrangement to share the weekday driving load with fellow parents (or colleagues) who live in your area. Members take turns to ferry children or other colleagues to school or work in their own cars, following a regular roster.
Joining a school lift club in Cape Town comes with more than just practical perks. While the time and cost savings are obvious, there are also environmental, social, and even emotional benefits that make it a worthwhile option for many families.
Save on fuel and vehicle wear-and-tear: By rotating driving duties, you significantly cut down on fuel costs and reduce the daily mileage on your car.
Minimise your time on the road: Sharing the school run frees up your mornings and afternoons, giving you a break from peak-hour traffic and more time for work or rest.
Reduce your carbon footprint: Fewer cars on the road means less congestion and lower emissions — a small but meaningful way to support the environment.
Promote independence and routine for kids: Regularly shared lifts help children learn punctuality and adapt to structured daily routines. They may also become more confident travelling without their parents.
Strengthen community connections: Lift clubs create opportunities to connect with other local families, building trust, friendships, and a stronger sense of neighbourhood support.
Provide backup in emergencies: In the event of a car issue or last-minute schedule conflict, being part of a lift club means there’s likely someone who can step in to help.
Your school likely has a digital platform where parents can connect and share information. While many schools have WhatsApp groups for specific classes or grades, it’s often more effective to ask about lift clubs in broader parent groups that reach the whole school community. Some schools also have formal parent liaison groups where you can post lift requests. At larger schools, lift-club details may also be shared through the d6 Connect app—so be sure to explore all the channels your school uses.
Facebook hosts some Cape Town-specific groups where parents discuss and arrange lift clubs—notably:
Since you ideally want to find fellow parents in your immediate neighbourhood, your local community centres or places of worship are worth consulting, have a look at their bulletin boards or newsletters for notices about lift clubs. Some big schools in Cape Town are very close to each other, so you may find that an efficient neighbourhood lift club need not be school-specific.
If all these channels don’t yield a suitable club, you may want to start one yourself. This is a good option for people who enjoy organising things and are ready for a bit of possible complication in their lives. If this is you, then here’s how to do it:
Talk to parents in your own school who live in your part of town, using the channels discussed above.
Create a group chat for the club, making it easy to add newcomers to the lift club and communicate roster and important updates.
Decide the format—your club could involve door-to-door pickups, or begin each lift from a convenient central spot in the neighbourhood with ample parking where kids can assemble.
Map out the best routes, once you have a quorum of lift-clubbers, and work out the optimal pick-up and drop-off times. A delicious task for geography nerds and punctuality freaks!
Make a school lift club roster for all members of your group. It’s always best to keep it simple. For example, with five drivers, each driver has a regular day of the week, either for the morning or afternoon run, or both. A predictable routine beats a logistical masterpiece that optimises everyone’s calendars.
Make backup plans if a driver can’t do their shift, for whatever reason, and have a roster of standby drivers to step in.
Set rules for the group, by consensus. Agree on things like punctuality, seatbelts, eating or drinking in the car, music, and cellphone use. Put it down in writing. It’s always best if possible to decide rules in a face-to-face meeting, as a friendly tone often gets lost on WhatsApp and people are easily offended. If things do get messy, remind everybody in general terms on the club group, or the villains of the piece with a DM only if necessary. Keep it light and fun.
If you do find that a member is a reckless driver, it may be necessary to diplomatically let them know their driving doesn’t fit with the group’s needs and exclude them. It’s worth getting a sense of your members before enrolling them, even if you need to ask around discreetly.
In Cape Town, if you're transporting children for a fee or reward, you will need an operating licence from the Western Cape government and a Professional Driving Permit. That’s not a lift-club problem, but it does also apply if the club ever carries more than 12 passengers. This may be unlikely in your case, but it's worth bearing in mind.
Each driver will need to inform their vehicle insurers that they are providing lifts for other parents’ children, as it may have implications for their cover. Members should also provide written permission for their children to be lifted, in a document that names all the drivers involved. This group ‘contract’ should also list all the kids’ emergency contact numbers, which should be archived or starred in the WhatsApp group.
Legalities aside, every lift club driver should ensure their car is roadworthy and safe.
Aside from driving in your own car, Cape Town offers some affordable alternatives:
The Metrorail train service connects most of Cape Town’s major suburbs and townships with the city centre, barring the Atlantic seaboard and the north coast.
The MyCiti bus service connects the city centre with the Atlantic seaboard, north coasts, and many other suburbs.
Many schools have school buses for their learners.
Minibus taxis are ubiquitous and affordable, if not luxurious
E-hailing services like Uber can be a big help during bad weather
Cycling—safe cycle routes cover some areas.
Always meet the other parents in person first and, if possible, observe their driving. Check that the driver has a valid licence, that the car is roadworthy, and that kids use seatbelts. You can also ask other parents about their experiences or check if the school has any feedback on known drivers.
It’s best to set expectations early on. Have a written agreement that includes a grace period and consequences for consistent lateness. Group chats can also help with real-time communication, but address issues privately and tactfully where possible.
Most informal lift clubs split petrol costs, but arrangements vary. Some families rotate driving duties instead of exchanging money. Be upfront and agree in advance on any financial contributions to avoid tension later on.
Yes, many lift clubs are based on location rather than school. If schools are nearby and the timings work, it can be a good solution, especially for siblings or neighbours attending different institutions.
While Cape Town parents mostly rely on WhatsApp and school platforms like d6 Connect, you could try apps like Carpool-Kids or Splt that are designed to organise ridesharing schedules, especially if your group is large.
Yes, as long as there’s no payment or profit involved, and you’re not transporting more than 12 passengers. Just make sure you’ve informed your insurer and have written permission from the other parents.
That’s where having a backup plan or standby list is essential. A good lift club will have clear communication and a couple of flexible parents who can fill in when needed.
It’s not recommended unless the older siblings are legally licensed drivers over 18 with experience, and all parents in the group are comfortable with it. Safety and insurance coverage are top priorities.
You can try these options:
WhatsApp school groups
Facebook groups like Lift Clubs in and Around Cape Town
Reddit threads on r/capetown
School bulletins and parent liaison groups
Places of worship and local community centres
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