Students for a Safe Ride, a program that provides free and safe transportation for Ole Miss students, has recently announced that they will be collaborating with Cline Tours as their new bus company.
The Safe Ride committee is looking for long-term solutions that will make the program more reliable for students. After working with a different company for a short period of time, the board decided that Cline Tours was the more dependable option for the program, according to Safe Ride President Gabriella Gonzaba.
“The (other) company wasn’t as reliable as we wanted them to be,” Gonzaba explained. “We don’t just want a company who commits only for a couple of weeks. So, we’re excited that Cline Tours will be working with us now. They’re from Memphis and coming all the way over here to help us. That’s really good.”
Gonzaba also mentioned that the program’s cost has changed, which may pose a threat to its transportation hours.
“The new pricing has gone up, so that’s kind of a problem. We may have to change the hours we run at certain times. We don’t just want to have two buses, but three or four continuously like the old Rebel Ride used to have. But, since the prices have gone up, we don’t really know how much it’s worth.”
Associated Student Body President Davis Rogers said he is excited to work alongside Cline Tours as the program’s bus provider. He also mentioned that alternative funding might be present in the future for Safe Ride.
“(Safe Ride) was very successful last semester, so we’re looking to upgrade our bus system, improve our routes and move on for the future. The City of Oxford has been offered a grant proposal from the federal government towards pushing for a safer environment around Oxford. The city believes Safe Ride is a good program, so they’re thinking about funding parts of it. That’s exciting.”
Rogers included the program in his platform when running for ASB president last semester because he believed that the program was popular enough to be rebooted. He also mentioned that there were negative consequences around campus when Rebel Ride disappeared, as a secure ride was no longer ensured for students.
“I was a student during the last years of Rebel Ride, and I remember how vital the program was to people around me and how much of an impact it made when the program disappeared,” Rogers said. “I trusted what I understood as a student and decided that this program was important enough to be pursued again.”
Ole Miss student Lane Proctor said the program is important for the safety of all students living on campus.
“It’s important to keep this program running because obviously people are going to be drinking on a college campus,” she said. “It would be irresponsible for the university to make a statement against drinking by not providing a source of transportation for students.”
The program will have a fundraiser after spring break in order to raise funds for the transportation costs. They are pairing up with Trey Horne, the co-owner of South Depot Taco Shop, and providing both wristbands and auction items for participants. A portion of your food or drink order will also be deducted.
Safe Ride became active after it was rebooted in September 2014, and the committee is hoping to get it running for spring semester in a couple of weeks. It will pick up and drop off in several different locations, including Martin/Stockard and Fraternity Row.
If you are interested in applying to be part of the Safe Ride organization, pick up an application in the ASB office. They are due March 6.
