Service provides students with safe rides
By Lindsey Hart
Administration is promoting a prepaid taxi service as an alternative mode of transportation for students to travel off campus, but many are still unaware of the new program due to a lack of publicity.
Students who subscribe to the service create an account with SafeCar and charge each ride to their membership card. Students use a toll-free phone number to connect to a network of over 40,000 taxis nationwide that provide transportation 24 hours a day.
SafeCar provides this service to colleges and universities in nearly 700 cities nationwide.
"I think that every university needs some kind of a safe ride program," said Annie Selak, associated students president, who, along with Santa Clarans Against Drunk Driving and the Office of Student Life, helped to bring SafeCar Services to Santa Clara. "My hope is that every student when they're off campus has some way to get back."
If the number for a taxi is in students' wallets next to their ACCESS cards, Selak believes students will be more willing to call for a ride.
Matthew Duncan, assistant dean for student life commented that "it provides another means of transportation for students that is presumably a safe alternative and provides more convenient opportunities to go to different areas in the Bay Area."
While Santa Clara administration recognizes this program and encourages students to become part of it, a small percentage of the student body knows about the program.
Edward Hoffman, SafeCar Services Managing Director and Founder, estimates about 100 Santa Clara students have become members since its launch on campus in the middle of December.
While Selak recognizes that it is unrealistic to expect that every student on campus will participate in this program, she hopes its presence will increase students' awareness of safe transportation.
"The important thing is that students know it exists," Selak said. "They may not have a card in their hand, but at least now they're thinking about safe rides in general."
Selak recognized that a lot needs to be done in order to have SafeCar Services adopted by the Santa Clara community. AS and SCADD, which actively participated in bringing the taxi services to the Santa Clara campus, are working to put out more fliers and posters to get the word out to students.
"Drunk driving is way out of hand at our school with people going to Jack-in-the-Box or driving home from the bars wasted," junior Michael Vincent said.
Vincent had never heard of the SafeCar program but said he thinks that such a program is a good idea and will help the problem of drunk driving at Santa Clara.
"I don't think people will get a taxi to go to Jack-in-the-Box," Vincent said. "But it would help out a lot of people driving back drunk from places like C and J's or bars in Palo Alto."
Duncan and Selak stress that rides home from the bars is not the only reason for SafeCar Services. Whether it be to the airport or the mall, students can call SafeCar and arrange a ride to anywhere they need to go.
"This program seems really compatible with Santa Clara because it doesn't require the school's funding, yet it still gives students an option to get safe rides," Selak said.
Although SafeCar is not officially part of Santa Clara, the school is promoting it among students. The company is even offering discounts to students.
Administration is in support of a safe ride program, but would rather rely on one that is privatized, not one that is campus-run.
Four years ago, Santa Clara had its own safe ride program called Cabs on Campus, but it failed due to a lack of funding.
The program was financed by the Office of Student Life and the Associated Students.
Selak noted that funding for shared student transportation is difficult to acquire. For more information on SafeCar Services visit www.safecarservices.com.
* Contact Lindsey Hart at (408)554-4546 or lmhart@scu.edu.