The recent partnership between the Undergraduate Student Government and the Central Ohio German Village Taxi Company that creates flat rates for students wanting to travel to various locations from campus is an immensely beneficial program of which students should take advantage.
This partnership will allow students to travel from points east of Olentangy River Road, north of 10th Avenue, west of Fourth Avenue and south of Northwood Avenue for a flat rate, as opposed to the company’s normal $2-per-mile plus wait-time rate. Locations students can travel to include North Campus bars for $5, the Arena District for $7 and the Brewery District for $10. This program will also give students a 25 percent discount when traveling to locations that are not inside the flat-rate area.
USG President Aftab Pureval said the taxi program was created so students would have a transportation system that is more efficient than services such as the Student Escort Service, which he said was being abused by students who used it as a taxi service instead of a safe way to travel from campus at night. His administration has achieved a creative response to campus safety issues with this program.
This plan provides students with another way to travel around the campus area besides COTA buses, which often stop running before students get out of bars, leading to the possibility of students either driving drunk or walking home alone. A cheap taxi service should help alleviate both problems.
Future USG members should use the taxi program as an example for focusing their efforts.
For this program, Pureval and USG Vice President Deb Mason set a goal and achieved it in the same vein as when former USG President Mike Goodman’s administration installed heaters in campus bus stops. Both of these improvements have a direct impact on campus despite the fact that students often feel as though USG does not accomplish appropriate tasks.
In this case, USG’s work on making the campus a safer, more accommodating place should give students a tangible example of the programs and initiatives that are beneficial for everyone.
