The Prowler ride service won’t be available to students anymore, after the Student Government Association terminated its contract last week with the transportation company.
SGA representatives say the decision was made due to its several contract violations and student dissatisfaction.
Based on SGA’s congressional audits, the Prowler’s contract violations include driving students to and from the downtown area, which is not a designated route agreed upon between Loyola and the New Orleans Tourists Company.
In addition to the Prowler’s low student utilization, the service also failed to come on time at its directed locations around Maple Street and the rest of Uptown.
SGA vice president and sociology senior Mary Grace Stewart said she believes that it is unacceptable for the Prowler to agree to drive students downtown when they ask.
“Their actions become a liability for both the university and their company,” she said.
Though SGA publicized the Prowler through e-mail and card distributions starting in the spring semester last year, Stewart believes that many students prefer to walk in the Uptown area, rather than wait for an often-tardy transportation service.
Mary Hayes, SGA congressperson at large and psychology junior, said she received numerous complaints from students.
“On one occasion, some Loyola students and I waited for a scheduled stop at 10 p.m., but the Prowler failed to come even after 20 minutes,” Hayes said. “Students also informed me that on Halloween, the Prowler charged them two dollars per person to drive them back Uptown. The Prowler wasn’t supposed to be in the downtown area to begin with. It’s also supposedly a free service to students.”
Christopher Cameron, director of Student Activities, reported the Prowler’s violations to the New Orleans Tourists Company and requested to end Loyola contract.
Currently, SGA is discussing an idea to collaborate with a cab service, in order to provide students with an efficient transportation mode.
“We may start a cab voucher or cab reimbursement program, since it would be much less expensive than what Loyola is paying for the Prowler right now,” Stewart said.
Stewart said that she and Bea Forlano, SGA president and management senior, will work with the next SGA administration to implement a cab service program for Loyola students.
The Prowler’s contract began at the end of January last year, with the purpose of transporting students to and from eight destinations in the Uptown area.
Stops along the route included the corners of Broadway and Freret, Maple and Adams, Maple and S. Carrollton, Napoleon and St. Charles, and Freret and Valmont.
According to Hayes, the year-long contract provided more than $10,000 to fund the Prowler services to students.
“It ended up not being useful enough for the amount that the students’ paid for it,” Hayes said.
Lan Bui can be reached at [email protected].
