Nipissing University students are showing their support for the new rideshare initiative that is gaining momentum in North Bay.
The Nipissing University Student Union ran a Facebook poll to gauge the interest in the idea of bringing a Ride Share company to North Bay.
See the results HERE
In that poll, which wrapped up Friday, the numbers indicated 93 per cent of those who responded supported the initiative, while 7 per cent were against it.
"I think this is a great opportunity for North Bay and for students to have other jobs,” one student stated about the poll.
“I am constantly picking up friends from the bar who know that they will have to wait for an hour or so for a taxi. We all welcome this change."
Another student was concerned about safety.
"My concern with companies like Lyft and Uber coming to North Bay is that there has to be education around it,” the student stated.
“Since news about this came out I have seen countless people confused about what a ‘ride share’ is and thinking that it means carpooling. If these companies do come to North Bay there needs to be an education piece around it so what happened in South Carolina does not happen here."
See related: Suspect arrrested in South Carolina university students death
Another student is disappointed with the local pushback from the cab companies.
"It is frustrating to see 'adults' more concerned about the argument between the taxi companies and community members wanting to bring in these companies when students are struggling to make ends meet,” noted the student.
“I wish these same people would use their voices to help the youth instead of playing 'who has the biggest ego in North Bay.’"
Anthony Campigotto created the local Facebook Ride Share group that is creating a lot of buzz and momentum online.
See related: Interest in Ride Sharing heating up in North Bay
Campigotto is not surprised by these positive results from the Nipissing University students poll.
“These results are not just the voice of people who live in our community right now, but the voice of our potential future,” said Campigotto.
“Comments surrounding reliability and affordability are a huge factor that brought on this initiative. Students are amongst those with the lowest income and many school residence dwellings are far removed from our city's amenities and entertainment.”
Campigotto believes Ride Share would open the city up to students.
“The concern over safety is one that I understand, but it is also one that has been addressed. As has been stated before, drivers will be insured, have clean records, background checks, and the app has multiple safety checks built into it as well,” he stated.
“Overall, I am glad students have gotten an opportunity to voice their thoughts on this topic.”
BayToday.ca attempted to get reaction and comment on the Ride Share poll from the North Bay Police Services Board which manages taxi operations in the city.
The board is hoping to meet and discuss the issue with city officials. The Police Board meets tomorrow.
“Police Board Chair Dennis O’Connor would like to have more information on the issue from city managers about the particulars of ride share,” stated Deputy Chief Scott Tod in an email to BayToday.
