The Student Union vowed to push the administration for the option to use Convenience Points to pay for cab rides at a General Assembly meeting last night.
The proposal, passed by the GA, must still be approved by Boston University administrators and local cab companies. The system would allow for students to pay for cabs with their school IDs and student accounts, proposal author and GA at-large member Daniel Horowitz said.
The proposal would help students who are not carrying enough cash to find transportation after the T stops running, he said.
“Allowing students to charge taxis to Convenience Points will allow students to use taxis more frequently,” Horowitz, a Union vice presidential candidate, said. “This will keep students safer throughout the entirety of Boston.”
The program could include any of four taxicab companies — Bay State Taxi, Boston Cab, Independent Cab and Top Cab — so far. Under Horowitz’s plan, to pay for a cab ride, a student would write down his name and BU ID number for a cab driver, who would call the taxi dispatcher to confirm that the student had enough money to cover the ride. Upon approval, the ride price would be deducted from the student’s Convenience Points balance.
“This idea is great for convenience, for safety and for the quality of student’s life,” Horowitz said.
Horowitz said Boston College has a similar program already in place. BC students can use their Eagle Bucks to pay for Veterans Taxi service. The school also provides students with a van escort service that runs until 3 a.m.
BC junior Aaron Cheung said he would rather pay in cash than points for a short cab ride. The college’s van program is more cost-effective than taking a cab, he said.
“The van is clutch,” Cheung said. “It saves us from having to buy a taxi or having to walk three miles. I know students use that a lot.”
The taxi program is not as popular as the shuttle, students said.
BC freshman Brett Goldberg said he was not aware of BC’s contract with Veterans Taxi. He said the escort service is used more often because the phone number for the service is on the back of the BC ID card, and it is free to students.
“The escort service is free and people want free,” he said.
Some BU students who were not at the GA meeting agreed being able to take a taxi without cash will be convenient.
“You don’t necessarily have cash on you,” Joel Turnham, a College of Fine Arts junior, said. “It’s good, especially for emergencies.”
Other students, however, said they would rather see the Student Union spend its time on other proposals. Turnham said it would be better to focus on increasing BU Shuttle service runs. Some students said they would rather use their Convenience Points for more dining options.
“It should focus on using Dining Points for food,” Justin Williamson, a CAS junior, said. “Of all the places to eat on Comm. Ave., why not use BU points?”
Students said the Escort Security Service shuttle, which was shut down in fall 2006 because of university budget constraints, was a more effective way to provide students with transportation late at night than a deal with cab companies. Some said they did not like the taxicab proposal because students still had to pay money for it.
“I’d rather them spend time and money on something I wouldn’t have to pay for later,” College of Engineering sophomore Hannah Vernia said.
The Escort Security Service van had been available to students for free. The van was abused before it was shut down, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said at a March 18 town hall safety meeting.
“The van as we had it was a taxi service,” Elmore said.
Horowitz said he has spoken to Elmore, and other officials at the BU Police Department and in the Dean of Students, Parking and Transportation Services and Auxiliary Services offices.
Horowitz said he still needs to get the program approved by the BU administration, which he hopes will happen by the end of the year, though he said there is no guarantee. He said there has been “great feedback” from administrators so far.
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