Pay someone to drive teen from Hampstead Garden to Rickmansworth

[NewHereNeedDriver]

Help! We need to hire a 3 mornings/wk driver from Hampstead Garden (near Golders Green) to get our teen girl to school in Rickmansworth 7:30 to 8:15. We don't have a car, and thought she'd use transit or a coach, but couldn't find a rental close to either. We signed a year-long contract for this fee school (couldn't get into a state school without a post code when we moved from California for a job). Our 13 yr old is exhausted and often in tears by the time she gets home from the long commute (1.5 hr each way, but would be 45 minutes in the morning by car). Hoping someone trustworthy may already be driving that way, or could use some extra cash: 100 gbp/wk. She would be most comfortable with a mom or young woman.

Honestly wouldn't it be easier to just book an Uber? At least then you know they're insured and monitored, not just some random person with your child in their car who could just drive off to anywhere and you'd never know.

It's about a £50 route so only £50 more than you're planning on paying this random mother/young woman - if you can even find anyone mad kind enough to drive three 45 min trips a week in London morning traffic for £100.

Could your daughter get an uber from your house to Finchley Road tube station, and then to Rickmansworth on the Metropolitan line?

I think you're probably not offering enough money for this job to be worth while. Break it down...

45mins is 1.5hrs for the driver, and that journey is around 18miles, 36mile roundtrip. At 50p per mile that's £18 per day just in mileage cost.
They'd only be making about £15 per day, that's £10per hour which is less than minimum wage. That's if traffic is all fine and it really does only take 45mins, truthfully it's likely to be a lot longer in London peak traffic.

You'd be better with an Uber.

Seriously why not just use the tube?

Can she not travel from Finchley Road up the Metropolitan Line..? Maybe Uber it to the station?

I would go with an Uber.

£100 isn't a lot paying taxes, expenses to car and the commitment to your daughter. I think it would be a hard one to find - I would try local FB groups for a fit.

It's not only 45 minutes unless the driver lives next door and driver's work fits 8 am in Rickmansworth. And you plan peak hours.

Have you asked around school if parents around you do the commute and you could join?

OMG you could get anyone! Have you spoken to a local can firm to set up a contract? At least they would be checked for taking a child.

It's also not legal to do 'hire & reward' without being licensed for it. If you found someone willing to have you just compensate them the permitted mileage allowance (up to 45p per mile I believe) then that gets around the law, but give them extra and they'd get a fine if found out not to mention their insurance would be invalid!

Thanks for the replies: a few things to clarify in case someone new reads this:
-Tried Uber 2x. I've noticed in London almost all uber drivers are men, and she wasn't comfortable with that + one drove too fast, the other's car smelled like cigarettes etc.
-Local mini cab quotes start at 68 (like going to the airport)
-Looked into school carpool: no other families crazy enough to live this far from school
-re "You could get anyone" there are vetted services for kids, but not one will drive outside of London city limits
-Helpful to know I'm not offering enough. The neighborhood suggestion was that babysitters make around 13-16/hr, and the hope is a mum may be taking their kids to school or work in that direction. But if it's not that, how much would you suggest might work?
-Google says 40-50min average on weekdays with traffic, and it was 40 w/ the Ubers (since it's reverse commute). It's 30min right now. But good point they probably won't live next door! Again, someone heading in that direction makes the most sense
-Re the tube, that's what she's doing-- bus down Finchley to Metropolitan. Problem is with walking on both ends and the middle and waiting for the tube, it's around 1.5 hrs each way.
-Of course not a "random stranger." Like finding a babysitter, we'd want to meet and make sure it's a right fit, confirm insurance etc.

-If you can hire a babysitter for regular days without being licensed, not sure why this would be illegal. My neighbors here hire babysitters, and sitters some pick their kids up from school. Problem with many babysitter-aged people is most who are not full time are in school themselves, so could do afternoons but we need mornings
-I can tell from the replies above that it sounds like this shouldn't be hard, but as you can see we've been trying to figure it out!
-This is in the spirit of "It never hurts to ask!"

Surely the obvious answer is to get a car?

Does you both work? If not maybe you need to suck it up and accompany her in the Uber and then take public transport home? Is this passible?

Getting a car would be best though, assuming you're free to drive her

No driving someone around for money is not the same as babysitting. One is regulated, the other is not.

i suggest you look carefully at the response above that says the driver’s insurance would be invalid, and think hard about the implications of that.

What’s your plan for school next year? Can she move to that school now?

Whittington cars have lady drivers and do school runs so you could ask them for a quote

I don't see why you can't just use a taxi. I know it's a bit expensive but hiring a private driver for two school drop offs would cost way more.
You say she'd prefer a female. I think there aren't that many female cab drivers in London but surely you can trust a licensed Uber driver of either sex?
I used to have to commute for an hour and a half each way when I went to secondary school. It wasn't great fun but you need to learn to cope with such things if you're going to be independent.

I thought you couldn't get an uber as an under 18yr old?

I’d be moving house. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152538911#/?channel=RES_LET

Can she move to a closer state school now you have an address, and you just write off the school fees? Sometimes things like this just happen, like having to pay rent on two homes when you move. I wouldn't think it would be worth the stress for only a year if she'll be moving school anyway next year.

It's a bit drastic, but maybe you could consider moving closer to the school and commuting in for your job?

This would obviously be easier if you rent at the moment.

Have you spoken to the school about the situation and asked if they know of anyone travelling a similar route?

Quite honestly, I think the most sensible solution is to move her to a local state school and write off the fees you've paid.

A taxi to a station a little higher up the Met line as a compromise?

Do you have other children at schools more local to you? If not could you move closer to Rickmansworth and commute into London (if that’s where you work)?

I had a 90 min commute to school. Lots of DCs going to private or rural schools do. She shouldn't be in tears. She can use the time to do her homework. It's only for a year then move home/school.

Try blacklane. It’s the chauffeur service my boss uses when in London. A good alternative is to find a black cab driver locally and offer them a contract - we did this by just looking around for them locally and asking for their number. A solicitor can help you draw up a contract.

Addison Lee taxi to somewhere on the metropolitan line and then the tube.

Addison Lee are much more professional than uber and similar prices

Advertise in the local Facebook group asking for a female driver. I would think you're looking at £50 each way. It's just not going to be cheap. It's either that or get a car.