URide to Safety: Getting Students a New Way Home

The University of New Haven has teamed up with Metro Taxi to be the first school in Connecticut to provide students with safe rides through the University Ride “URide Safe” program. Students and parents can put money on a special debit card to be used exclusively to pay for cab fare. Originally conceived as a means for students to get home safely from nights out and to discourage drunk driving, these passes can be used any time—from bar hopping to grocery shopping.

As a student at another Connecticut institution, at first glance I felt that the idea of parents seeing a record of their son or daughter consistently coming home from bars at 2 AM and asking them to pay for it is laughable. But after learning more I think it makes sense.

It seems that many at UNH agree. “This fall is the first time we’re offering the URide program and it seems freshmen parents and students in particular love the idea,” says Fredrick Baker, assistant dean of students at UNH. We think upperclassmen will start purchasing them more as well over the course of the semester.” Metro Taxi helps Connecticut universities keep track of the number of cards purchased by students. Students and parents can log onto the company’s website to purchase cards and to see a log of activity showing departure and arrival destinations as well as the date and time of each trip.

Metro Taxi and the University of New Haven have decided to give students the choice to authorize parents to view the log if they wish to. “This is meant to be very student-friendly, not a tattletale log to parents,” says Isabelle Scalzi, co-owner and head of marketing and business development for Metro Taxi. I think this is a particularly important feature of the program as parent access to this log could easily defer students from participating. However, the ability for parents to log in and add money is invaluable. Should a student accidentally exhaust his or her funds before getting home, a quick call to Mom and Dad could be all that’s needed to get more money put on the card.

From the university’s perspective, the program’s benefit is a no-brainer. “It’s part of the bigger goal of creating a safe environment for students, especially with regards to alcohol use,” Baker says.

Other companies nationwide offer a similar service. For example, Taxi on Demand allows students at the University of Tennessee to use a “TransCard” at any taxi nationwide that accepts Discover cards, though these TransCards are non-reloadable. More than 50 higher ed institutions have chosen University Cab Cash, a nationwide company that allows universities to team up with their local cab company; like Metro Taxi, it provides reloadable debit cards and a user log accessible by anyone who has the log in information. A university can participate in either of these programs at no cost.

Jason Willoughby, president of University Cab Cash, says, “Parents love the idea of the peace of mind that this brings. The students like the ease of use and the ability to always have isolated funds for a safe ride.” With the ability of students at any institution to get a card, I can tell you that I will absolutely be putting one in my wallet.