Temple University students who find themselves in unsafe situations are now eligible for a free ride from Uber. The ridesharing giant has awarded the university up to $200,000 in free ride promo codes that students can use when they feel that their safety may be at risk.
The free rides are being made available as part of Uber's partnership with a student organization called Student Activists Against Sexual Assault (SAASA), according to
the Temple News. The student club is part of a larger organization called
It's On Us (IOU), which seeks to combat sexual abuse on college campuses.
Temple students can redeem the free ride vouchers by using their university email address and entering the promo code "TempleRideHome" in the Uber app. Each student is eligible to be for up to four $20 rides between now and the end of the year.
“By lowering the economic barrier to entry into using Uber to get home safe at night, we’re really hoping that we’re able to help our Temple students feel safe moving in and around their campus community, while also getting to learn more about how to use rideshare safely and the in-app tools that Uber provides,” IOU Executive Director Tracey Vitchers told the Temple News.
The free rides will cover a nine-and-a-half mile radius around Temple's main campus in North Philadelphia, including nearly all of the city itself, as well as parts of South Jersey and Chester County. IOU previously ran a similar campaign at Kutztown University in Berks County.
The free safety ride program will reportedly operate on an honor code basis that trusts students will not redeem the free rides unless the circumstances call for it.
THOM CARROLL/for PhillyVoice
