Bye-bye buses, hello app-driven car service

New SUber company promises "Fair Fares" that also will eliminate long waits for campus buses.

UPDATE: We hope you enjoyed -- at least for a moment -- the idea that SUber may be a reality. Here is the story behind our April Fools' Day prank.

Don’t feel like waiting for a South Campus bus? Need to make a last minute trip to the mall for a big interview tomorrow? Feeling lazy –- or just plain cold -– and don’t feel like falling victim to central New York’s winter elements?

Photo: Courtesy of SUber

Find out more about SUber and how to register for the car service at SUbercuse.com.

Say goodbye to buses, and hello to “allow me to get the door for you.”

Meet SUber, the yellow taxi, personal car service hybrid that you’ve been waiting (for 20 minutes at the College Place bus stop) for.

SUber is the university’s rendition of Uber, the widely popular, city-based car service that gets people where they want to be, fast –- and all you have to do is subscribe to the service through its website, and download the app on your phone.

“I used Uber during my internship in Boston last summer and it's amazing that SU will be offering that for us,” said Marleigh Spinner, a communications design junior.

SUber is all about GPS. The app uses the tracking device in a user’s phone to pinpoint exactly where they are, even if they aren’t sure themselves. The interactive map displays exactly where and which SUber cars are around a user’s surrounding area.

The user requests a car -– Honda? Mercedes? Lexus? –- and can view the driver’s information and car details before they arrive. The driver will call or text when he or she arrives, but feel free to contact them beforehand.

SUber is completely cashless which is what drives so much of its success. Just create a user profile, plug in your credit card information, and you’re on your way to hassle free transportation. You can even split fares between other riders.

Sound pricey? It’s not. Though Uber prides itself on “Fair Fare,” Syracuse University and ESF students will pay for SUber at the discounted rate of 44 percent. Additionally, each registered, full-time student will have a credit of $44 waiting in his or her account upon registering. Required elements for a successful registration and credit include a university email, SU ID number and including the promotional code “2775357”.

“We are excited to bring Uber to SU,” said SUber representative Marcy Price. “We think the students will enjoy making better use of the time they would normally spend waiting for a bus.”

Connective Corridor buses will still run its normal routes to South Campus, Downtown, Destiny USA, Drumlins and other destinations at normally scheduled times, through May 14. However, starting this fall, buses will only run once an hour, on the hour, to each of the before mentioned locations.

University officials did not say how long it committed to this partnership with Uber, only that “This is a "dry run." SU has never sponsored a private service of this kind.

“The University’s partnership with Uber is the beginning of a series of efforts made by the university in an effort to help our students better-personalize their years on campus,” wrote a university spokesman who chose to remain anonymous until the official announcement April 4.

“Plus,” he added, “we could use a few more luxury cars on campus. You can never have enough.”

To learn more about SUber, follow them on TwitterFacebook or at the official website.

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