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Questions You'll Need to Answer Specific procedures and guidelines are important to all types of safe ride programs. Since they outline how the program will operate, who can use the service, and when, they are the foundation of every program. It is strongly recommended to develop very conservative guidelines when starting a new program. After the service has earned a good reputation and won more community, student and administrative support, you can expand the hours, area and times when and where the service is offered. It's important to explain each part of the program in writing, so rules and procedures are never questionable. In doing so, your committee should consider the following questions: What is the intended purpose of the program? This should come directly from your mission statement and objectives, which are crucial to develop. The mission and vision will help narrow your focus and should be based upon a student survey that highlights students' demographics, wants and needs. Generally, the mission should specify the purpose for providing a safe ride service and outline objectives that are the specific, attainable, and measurable ways you plan to accomplish your mission. Who will be allowed to use the service? Ideally, every program should provide transportation to anyone who needs the service because limiting usage to only specific groups of people (students, their guests, faculty/staff, etc.) decreases the overall benefit of the program. Begin, however, by limiting ridership to either only students or students and one guest. This should reduce liability concerns and expedite the administrative approval of your program. What days and times each week will the program operate? Most programs targeting the reduction of impaired driving operate on the nights that students frequently "go out," such as Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They typically begin the service at 10 or 11 pm and run until 2 or 3 am. Remember, the hours your service can run may be limited due to the financing available. If there is a need for more service hours than your funding permits, seek out one or more co-sponsoring groups. Will the program run all year, or only during certain seasons? The answer to this question primarily depends upon the availability of funding, who may use the service, and whether a high percentage of students remain in town during breaks or not. Programs that only provide transportations to students usually do not operate during holiday breaks. This is a good policy for new services. After the program has an established reputation and funding becomes available, you may elect to operate all year, since impaired driving tragedies and crimes occur year round. What area will be serviced? Most van/shuttle programs operate within a limited area of the community, since trips to remote areas preclude the service from transporting other passengers and can be potentially dangerous. The best way to determine a reasonable service area is to use a city map. First locate the college and university campus(es). Then, mark where restaurants, bars, and other "hang out" spots are located. Using a compass, draw a circle that includes all of the marked locations. It is also helpful to consult your local police station to help you avoid places with high crime rates - and remember to think conservatively at first! For cab-based service limits, the answer mainly depends upon the fare rate (either per mile or fixed) and the financial resources available for the operation of the program. What will it cost to use the service? Depending upon your funding, you will need to decide if there will be a cost for using the service. Most safe ride programs are free, since this increases the probability of people using the service when it is needed. Some services ask for a small contribution (anywhere from $.50 to $1.00) and most cab services ask patrons to tip the cab driver, even though the ride may be free. If you choose to collect a certain amount per passenger in a jar, be prepared to handle accounting responsibilities as well as situations where passengers need a ride but do not have the money. Determine ahead of time if you will make exceptions and if so, you may want to ask for a "donation" to ride, rather than require a "fare." What information must be given to use the service? Most programs require a minimum of a first name and destination street address from each passenger. If your safe ride program can be used by anyone, this is all you really need. Otherwise, you will want to determine how passengers will be identified as valid users. The information provided by these questions allows programs to compile ridership statistics, which are very useful in evaluating safe ride services. How will communication be maintained? Explain the way you will establish and maintain communication between passengers and the service, drivers and their guides, the vehicle staff and the dispatch office, and the program and local emergency services. For a van/shuttle program, it is advisable to establish a program phone number for people to call when a ride is needed. This number would reach a dispatcher, who would communicate the information taken to the vehicle(s) via two-way radio. If each vehicle is equipped with two radios (one for each the driver and guide) constant communication can exist between all staff members. As an additional precaution, we suggest each vehicle be equipped with a cellular phone for emergency purposes only. (Many cellular service providers will donate the phone and local service to programs in exchange for recognition.) Cab services generally employ their own dispatcher to answer program calls and students call the cab company to request service. This helps programs keep accurate records of ridership (that can be compared with billing) and ensure ride requests are responded to within a reasonable amount of time. What will be the nightly procedures for picking up and returning the vehicle? This question applies only to van-based services. Discuss exactly how the staff will obtain/return the keys and equipment for each vehicle, if gas checks or stops must be made and what maintenance checks must be completed. What rules must passengers follow while using the service? Standard rules, such as "no smoking or beverages are allowed on any program vehicles," "no excessive or abusive language" and "all occupants must wear seat belts at all times" should be clearly stated and posted in the program vehicles. How will disorderly passengers be handled? Explain the procedure that will be followed if passengers become disruptive. Include a clause that permits your program to refuse service to anyone who has demonstrated a history of unruly behavior. How will liability coverage be provided? Carefully explain what insurance policy will cover your service, who will be the named carrier and what the coverage limit will be. This is very important for both van/shuttle services and cab programs. What will be the emergency procedures? For all practical purposes, this will be your program's "crisis plan." The best advice we can give is "leave no rock unturned." Think of every possible situation and how it should be handled. Under what circumstances would the program not operate when otherwise scheduled? Most programs have specific policies regarding bad weather, the absence of a staff member and other unforeseen circumstances. |
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