New 24-hour taxi service available

Students have a new way of getting around now that the SGA has introduced Tide Taxi, a 24-hour taxi service that will take students around and off campus.

Tide Taxi, which began operating Monday, has a zone that extends farther than the CrimsonRide transit system. It goes from Helen Keller Boulevard to Greensboro Avenue, and from Jack Warner Parkway to 15th Street.

Students who use Tide Taxi pay a flat rate of $5 for group riders to a single location and $7 for single riders to a single location. As of now, the service only accepts cash or check, but SGA President R.B. Walker said that a future goal is to allow students to pay with Bama Cash or a credit card.

Tide Taxi will utilize vehicles from local taxi companies Deluxe Taxi and Trusty Taxi. As of now, there are eight taxis used for students, Walker said. However, he said, the plan is to expand the fleet in the future. The taxis will have magnetic signs on the side with the Tide Taxi logo.

The Bama Escort Service is a free service for students that transports them from one residential location to another location in its set zone. Bama Escort Service, which can be contacted at 348-RIDE, is available during hours when CrimsonRide buses do not run, which are 2:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cason Kirby, SGA vice president for Student Affairs, said that after looking into all possibilities, the SGA decided on having a service like this.

"We absolutely did think a lot of about an expansion of CrimsonRide and that might be something for the future," Kirby said. "But for right now it wasn't feasible to expand within our time frame. We wanted to put this together as soon as possible. If we went with [expanding CrimsonRide], we'd have to wait longer for things like more buses."

Walker said Tide Taxi is a more personal mode of transportation than CrimsonRide, because it can take students from location to location rather than dropping them off at a designated stop.

Walker said $25,000 - not including funds for advertising - has been allotted to the service from the SGA student reserve fund.

Walker said the idea for a taxi service came from Ashley Hays, former SGA vice president for External Affairs, after she saw the need for a reliable service while she was in office.

"We also saw how bars were becoming more spread out and saw that there was a heightened sense of personal safety," he said. "This is a nuts and bolts way of providing safety for students at the University."

The number to reach the service is 348-CAB9.

Students who call the service will speak to a dispatcher, who, after gathering the student's information, will contact one of the taxi companies.

After the dispatcher calls the taxi, the student will receive a call back from the dispatcher with the name of the taxi company, estimated time of pick-up and instructions to follow in case the taxi does not arrive on time.

Ambre Twitty, a junior majoring in accounting, said she thinks the service is a good idea, but would like the zone to be extended farther to take her to places like Wal-Mart, maybe for a higher rate.

Britney Lomax, a junior majoring in political science, said she would use Tide Taxi, especially if she was traveling at night and had no car of her own.

Kristin Gibbs, a freshman majoring in business, said that because she lives on campus, she probably wouldn't use Tide Taxi very much.

"Parking is so hard to find, though," Gibbs said. "And CrimsonRide just goes around campus so it's nice to have something that goes off-campus."

Kirby said student feedback is essential while Tide Taxi is in its beginning phases. Students can give feedback at www.sga.ua.edu.