Albuquerque residents will soon have an alternative to calling a cab or designating a driver when drinking.
Student Paul Aitken is opening a trolley service that will operate from Thursday-Sunday from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. He said he got the trolley idea after spending time abroad and using public transportation to get around while drinking.
“You just text us where you want to get picked up,” Aitken said. “As long as it’s within our region, that’s fine.”
Cinco de Mayo marks the trolley’s soft opening, with the hard launch slated for August. The trolley will operate within a two-mile radius of campus and take passengers to University-area locations. It costs $5 to ride.
Aitken said he plans to distribute keychain cards in August that have the trolley’s phone number and contact instructions. He said that customers must contact the trolley 30 minutes before their
preferred pickup time.
“We’re here to help the community by deterring drunk driving,” Aitken said, “We’re here to help the students by giving them an alternative way to get around and a fun way.”
The bus will run on locally produced biodiesel fuel, but Aitken plans to produce his own fuel in the future. He said that biodiesel is cheaper and better for the environment.
Student Seth Kaplan said that the trolley will likely decrease drunk driving.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said. “The more options you have for drinkers, the less of an option there is to go get in a car.”
