In light of a recent wave of crime around campus and in the community, UNC students should take advantage of the new flat-rate taxi service that began on Jan. 1.
The taxi service can be beneficial to students, particularly at night, when it is dangerous to walk alone.
This is a more secure option for students at night. Now, they can take a taxi with a registered driver and know how much their trip will cost.
Former Student Body President Mary Cooper first lobbied for changes in the town’s taxi policy in October 2011, and the Town Council approved a policy incorporating some of these proposals in September.
A mandatory drug test is now required for taxi drivers seeking a permit, and only cars that are registered with the Chapel Hill Police Department are allowed to pick up citizens that are within the town limits. The days of unmarked, unregistered, questionable taxi rides are over.
Not only is the taxi service now safer, it is also affordable for students. The new regulations created a mile-and-a-half flat-rate radius around Chapel Hill’s business district. Riders pay the same rate to travel anywhere within that zone.
With the flat rate, students can now know exactly how much a taxi ride will cost on the way home, making the service more accessible.
This is a clear improvement over the previous informal system of haggling with the cab driver. A taxi cab is not an old world bazaar.
The enacting of new and safer rules for taxis in Chapel Hill shows the town is committed to ensuring the security of its residents.
