Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

School Rides ("we", "us", "our", or "Company") operates the School Rides website and mobile application. This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices associated with that data.

2. POPIA Act Declaration

School Rides operates as a responsible data controller under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), a South African law that regulates the processing of personal information. This declaration outlines our commitment to compliance with POPIA's foundational principles.

2.1 POPIA Compliance Commitment

School Rides is committed to upholding the following POPIA principles in all our operations:

2.2 Data Subject Rights Under POPIA

In addition to the privacy rights detailed in Section 7 of this policy, POPIA grants you the following rights:

• Right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal information
• Right to request access to your personal information held by School Rides
• Right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to request deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances
• Right to object to processing for certain purposes (including direct marketing)
• Right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been violated

2.3 Lawful Basis for Processing

School Rides processes your personal information only where we have a lawful basis to do so under POPIA, including:

• Consent: You have explicitly consented to the processing
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to perform a contract with you
• Legal Obligation: Processing is required by South African law (e.g., tax compliance)
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention)
• Public Interest: Processing is necessary to protect public interest (e.g., child safety)

2.4 Information Regulator Contact

If you have concerns about School Rides' compliance with POPIA, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

3. Information Collection and Use

We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you.

3.1 Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Name and email address
• Phone number and contact information
• Residential address and location data
• Date of birth (for age verification purposes)
• Payment information and transaction history
• ID/Passport number (for operators and verification)
• Driver's license details (for transport operators)
• Vehicle registration and insurance information

3.2 Location Data

With your permission, we collect precise location data via GPS or similar technologies to provide real-time vehicle tracking for active journeys. This data is encrypted and deleted within 30 days of trip completion unless you choose to retain journey history.

3.3 Usage Information

We automatically collect information about your interactions with our Service, including:

• Pages visited and features used
• Time stamps and duration of visits
• Device type and operating system
• IP address and browser type
• Search queries and filters used

3.4 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to collect usage information. See our Cookie Policy for more details.

4. Use of Data

School Rides uses the collected data for various purposes:

• To provide and maintain the Service
• To verify user identity and prevent fraud
• To process payments and send related information
• To improve, customize, and optimize the Service
• To send transactional emails and SMS notifications
• To provide customer support and respond to inquiries
• To monitor compliance with our Terms of Service
• To detect and prevent technical issues and abuse
• To send marketing communications (with consent)
• For legal compliance and regulatory purposes
• To improve child safety and transport security

5. Data Retention

School Rides will retain your Personal Data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy:

• Account information is retained while your account is active
• Transaction records are retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance
• Location tracking data from completed journeys is retained for 30 days
• Communication and support records are retained for 3 years
• Marketing data is retained until you unsubscribe

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

6.1 Service Providers

We share data with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and conducting our business, including payment processors, email service providers, and analytics companies.

6.2 With Your Consent

We may share your information when you give us explicit consent to do so, such as sharing your location with a transport operator during an active booking.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect our rights, or ensure public safety.

6.4 Business Transfers

If School Rides is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

7. Security of Data

The security of your data is important to us but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

We implement security measures including encryption, secure data centers, and access controls to protect your information.

8. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: You can correct inaccurate information
• Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to Portability: You can request your data in portable format
• Right to Object: You can object to marketing or profiling

9. Children's Privacy

School Rides is not directed to anyone under 18 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided information to School Rides, please contact us immediately. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to computers located outside of your province or country where data protection laws may differ. If you are located in South Africa, your data will primarily remain within South Africa in compliance with local regulations.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of revised Privacy Policy means that you accept and agree to the changes.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: