Safe transportation of children to afterschool clubs in Calgary

Date of publication: January 6, 2026

In Canada, and especially in cities like Calgary, it’s great to see children actively participating in afterschool clubs — hockey, arts, dance, STEM programs, and more.

Yet even when families can manage the monthly fees, transportation remains one of the biggest barriers. Many parents work full-time, often with additional shifts or side jobs, and simply can’t be in two places at once. Ironically, we work so hard for our children’s future — and still struggle to get them to the very programs that help shape it.

So how can we solve this problem in a practical, scalable way?

What’s missing is a safe, reliable, and affordable transportation service for afterschool clubs.

Three possible approaches

Option 1

Each afterschool club operates its own transportation service by hiring staff with personal vehicles to pick up children and drop them off after classes.

Pros: Transportation becomes a competitive advantage and attracts more families.

Cons: High costs due to Calgary’s urban sprawl and long driving distances between neighborhoods.

Option 2

A dedicated transportation company operating as a standalone business, partnering with multiple afterschool clubs and transporting children using passenger vans or minibuses (5–10 children per vehicle).

Pros: Lower cost per family thanks to higher vehicle occupancy and route optimization by neighborhood.

Cons: Requires significant upfront investment, regulatory approvals, insurance, and time to build trust with parents.

Option 3 (in my view, the most practical and scalable)

Expanding existing School Bus Services to include transportation to afterschool clubs.

Most afterschool programs run outside regular school hours, which means school buses and drivers are often underutilized during this time. No major fleet investment would be required — the buses already exist. Many drivers could also take on additional paid hours.

Canada already has a well-established, trusted, and highly regulated school bus system focused on neighborhood-based routing. It would simply need to evolve from a single destination (school) to multiple stops (afterschool club A, B, C).

Pros: The highest level of safety, reliability, and parental trust — built over decades.

Cons: Longer travel times due to multiple stops and more passengers.

Why this matters

Regardless of the model, a reliable transportation solution for afterschool clubs would have a strong positive impact:

• Children’s development and well-being, giving them more access to programs they choose based on their interests

• Parents’ peace of mind, knowing their children are safe while spending less time on screens

• Growth of the afterschool education market by removing one of its biggest logistical barriers

I’m curious to hear your thoughts:👉 Could adapting existing School Bus Services be a realistic solution in Canadian cities? Please write your comments here (LinkedIn version of this article).

© Author: Anatolii Melnyk

© Created by Anatolii Melnyk, BetterProcess.ca