The SafeRide program is back up and running for the winter semester.
What is SafeRide?
The SafeRide program was created by the SRC with the intent to provide a free safe ride for UNBSJ students to their desired destinations. The SRC believes in ensuring that students have a safe and inexpensive means of transportation.
SafeRide provides service within the city limits of Saint John. The area of operation for SafeRide is bordered by Ocean Westway on the West Side of Saint John, Eldersley Avenue on the East Side of Saint John, and the Circle K Irving on Rothesay Road, outside of the city limits.
The eligible users of this service are undergraduate students of UNBSJ & Dalhousie medical students of New Brunswick.
“SafeRide is a wonderful program for UNB. It gives students the opportunity to be carefully brought to and from permitted locations around Saint John. Students can use this program, at no additional costs, to get basic needs like groceries or even go uptown for a fun night.” Chris Tait, VP of Finance & Operations, UNB SRC.
Safety is a top priority
When it came to creating the SafeRide program, many steps were taken to ensure that it would safe and successful.
Tait says, “All drivers are pre-screened to ensure that they have clean driving records and go through an interview process as well as a small training program run by myself personally.”
The SRC has also taken steps outside of hiring to ensure further safety, Chris continues, “The keys to the SafeRide vehicle are also kept in a secure location that only employees of SafeRide, executives of the SRC, and UNB Security know.”
The SafeRide schedule
The SafeRide program operates from mid-September to mid-April on the following schedule, weather permitting:
- Monday: 6pm-12am
- Tuesday: 4pm-8pm (grocery run only)
- Tuesday: 8pm-12am
- Wednesday: 6pm-12am
- Thursday: 6pm-12am
- Friday: 6pm-12am
- Saturday:10am-5pm
An important note
There is no SafeRide service during Exam Periods, University Holidays, Fall Term Reading Week, Reading Days, Christmas Break, and Winter Term Break.
Additionally, if the weather conditions are severe, SafeRide will not be available. Tait comments on this, “We all know that during the winter, weather conditions can be problematic for students and drivers alike which is why I take the utmost care in making a decision on if we operate during days with severe weather conditions.”
Some tips
If you or a friend are considering using SafeRide, here are three tips to make the experience easy and enjoyable:
- If you have any food or beverages that you are bringing into the vehicle, they must be covered. No open food or drinks.
- Have your valid UNB or DAL Med NB student identification cards to show your driver in order to use the service.
- Keep in mind there is a maximum of 4 passengers are permitted at a time as well as one pickup and one drop-off location.
How to connect with SafeRide
Find real-time updates on SafeRide service by following the SRC SafeRide Facebook Page. This is the only place where delays, cancellations, and changes to service are posted. The page can be found here.
To schedule a drive, students can reach the SafeRide staff by phone at 506-650-0052
The UNBSafe app is a great place to find more information about SafeRide and it has direct links to help you get in touch.
If you have any further questions concerning SafeRide, Chris Tait, VP of Finance & Operations is a great resource. Students can reach him by email at finance@unbsrc.ca or by phone at 506-343-1697. Chris has worked very hard and is incredibly passionate about SafeRide.
“SafeRide has been a priority of mine since day one. I have worked around the clock to ensure that this program is successfully implemented so that all students living on campus can get where they need to go in a safe, costless manner. We had some issues in the first semester however I’ve worked hard for months and fought for SafeRide to make sure that this program continues to run smoothly and effectively for years to come” Tait emphasised.
