New app gives Hokies a faster way to request a safe ride home

Each year thousands of Virginia Tech students, employees, and visitors take advantage of Virginia Tech’s Safe Ride program by calling the Police Department (540-231-SAFE (7233)) to request a ride across campus between dusk and dawn each night.

In an effort to continue cultivating a safer environment and encourage Hokies to be aware of their surroundings and proactive about their safety, the university has purchased a new app that allows Hokies to request a ride from the palm of their hands.

The Safe Ride program is available to anyone who is out late and needs a ride across campus to get home safely. The goal of the program is to assist individuals who find themselves in an unfamiliar area and/or are alone, and prevent people from drinking and driving.

After downloading TransLoc OnDemand app from iTunes or the Google Play Store, users can request a ride by logging into the app and selecting a pickup and drop-off location.

The ability to request a ride via the app streamlines the process for both the rider and the Safe Ride driver. In addition to being more user friendly, the app alleviates hold time and busy phone lines, reduces wait time for riders by grouping ride requests on similar routes, and increases student safety with real-time tracking and text notifications that allow riders to wait in a safe place until their ride arrives.

Once the request is submitted, the driver is automatically notified and dispatched using GPS location to reduce missed pickups. With an Uber-like convenience, riders can track the vehicle’s approach in real time and will receive a text message when the vehicle has arrived.

Security Center representatives can monitor pending, in progress, or completed rides and schedule call-in rides to be added to the automatic routing and dispatch system.

For more information about SafeRide visit the website or call the Police Department general information line at 540-231-6411.