On Monday, two Morgan students introduced a rideshare business to offer a safer transportation alternative for the Morgan community at a discounted price, in light of rising safety concerns regarding popular services like Uber and Lyft. 

Kayla Terry, a senior family and consumer science major and Morgan Tunstall, a junior sports administration major, were inspired to bring their own initiative to campus to alleviate some student fears surrounding campus travel. 

“I don’t want to say it’s going to change everything, but this is definitely somewhere to start and get others involved,” Tunstall said. “We can help each other out.” 

Bear Cab—which operates through Instagram and text message and is not affiliated with Morgan State University—offers students trips to and from destinations within the Morgan Mile and provide drop-off services as far as Prince George’s County. A valid Bear Card and policy agreement signed before their ride can get students and faculty a ride request. 

Destination options include a roundtrip ride to Towson’s Walmart and Towson Mall for $15 each, a one-way ride to the Towson Walmart for $10 and drop offs to the main campus from off campus residencies for $5. 

The death of Samatha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student, on March 30 sparked many popular rideshare companies to step up in regards to rider safety after she mistook a car for the Uber she requested. 

In response, Uber chose to partner with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement to help educate college students on safety practices and Lyft implemented more extensive background checks on drivers.

 Tunstall and Terry bonded over shared experiences with the difficulties of finding campus transportation without access to a personal car and decided to launch their business. 

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While she was a student at Central State University in Ohio, Tunstall saw students offering their time to escort other students to nearby destinations for a low cost. 

Once Terry got her car in December, they decided Spring semester would be the perfect time to launch Bear Cab. 

While they have received overwhelming support, critics have also raised concerns since last week’s announcement of the student-run service. 

Terry, however, isn’t too worried and believes students will warm up to the idea over time.   

“All and all I feel like this idea was something good to bring to campus,” she said. “Once it gets up and running they’ll actually appreciate it more and want to use it once they see we are serious and we really do care about the safety of the students. ” 

Safety is a top priority for the pair who’ve put a system in place where riders must sign a policy agreement, be placed in a contact list and show a valid bear card, including additional guests. 

Imani Hemsley, a junior elementary education major, appreciates a rideshare service that can help those who don’t drive or have access to a personal car like herself. 

“I’m happy that Morgan students, especially two Morgan women, have stepped up and are trying to help out each other with something that seems so small, but really takes a toll on some of us financially,” she said.