Program Offers Free Cab Rides on Halloween

The spookiest hours of Halloween night may be a little less scary this year, thanks to a program that will offer free taxicab rides around Cambridge.

The SafeRide program, which is sponsored by the Ambassador Brattle Cab company, the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board, and the Cambridge License Commission, will provide free rides up to $35, between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Halloween night.

The program is aimed at restaurant patrons. Joe Silva, the proprietor of Ambassador Brattle Cab, said that on Oct. 31, restaurants will hand out cards with the SafeRide phone number.

But cabs will not deny a ride to those who need one.

“Even if someone calls from a party or something, we actually have allowed that as well,” said Richard Scali, chairman of the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board.

The program is primarily funded by the Taste of Cambridge event, an annual fundraiser that raised $9,000 this year.

SafeRide has been publicized in restaurants and on the Internet.

“We’ve got posters that went out to every restaurant and bar in the city,” Scali said, “And it was marketed through our e-mail program.”

Some students received e-mails advertising SafeRide from house e-mail lists or house officials, though most said they weren’t sure they’d have occassion to take advantage of it.

“I have no idea where I saw it, but I saw it,” said Sebastian I. Predescu ’10.

“I’m probably not going to use it,” said Alexander J. MacQuitty ’10, “but if I had occasion to use it, I would.”

The SafeRide program, which is now in its fourth year, was created after the Boston chapter of the national Sober Ride program became defunct.

It will continue as long it is funded, Silva said, and will, according to Scali, be run a few times a year.

“We plan on holding it three times a year on the major holidays, like New Year’s Eve, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day.” he said.