As of Jan. 2, UW-Madison students are limited to six SAFERide cab uses per semester, down from the previous allowance of four per month.
According to a UW-Madison release, the change was made in an attempt to deter students from using SAFERide cab as free nighttime transportation, rather than for emergencies only, which is the service's intended use.
The release said the service is funded entirely by student-segregated fees and is unable to afford recent increases in costs partly due to non-emergency use.
""The SAFEride cab program is intended to be used only in the case of emergencies,"" Michael Romenesko, a member of the Associated Students of Madison committee that advises student-financed transportation services, said in a statement. ""We've seen a pattern of a very small number of students, fewer than 200, using SAFEride cab very frequently.""
UW-Madison officials still urge students to use SAFERide cab in case of an emergency, but to also take advantage of other transportation options available like the SAFERide bus system, walking with friends or calling their own cabs.
For more information visit: asm.wisc.edu/SAFEride.html.
—Kelsey Gunderson
