By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Beginning this week, Safe Ride will be limited to operating on Fridays and Saturdays.
The limited hours will be in place throughout the summer.
“In light of the low numbers during the summer, the Partnership for a Safer Community voted not to provide services Wednesday and Thursday beginning May 22 through Aug. 14,” said Ed Howell, Fort Hays State University director of police and security.
He said the decision to cut service on Wednesdays and Thursdays was made after examining ridership last summer.
“Even though the university is in session, you are not going to have the number of people attending summer session like you do fall and spring,” he said as the likely cause of the lower amount of riders.
Regular service, however, would take place during Wild West Fest.
“We want to have that service available during that timeframe,” Howell said.
“The Safe Ride service was started by the Partnership for a Safer Community in June 2005 as part of an effort to provide alternative modes of transportation for individuals when they believe being on the roads is unsafe,” according to the FHSU website. “It is a collaborative effort between Fort Hays State University, local business and the City of Hays. More than 20 local businesses and agencies support the service offering everything from discounted rates on advertising to monetary donations and free phone lines for riders to call.”
Safe Ride offers rides to anyone in the community free of charge within the city limits from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
To schedule a ride, call (785) 621-2580.