DkIT DASH to boost student’s safety

UNIQUE APP LAUNCHED TO HELP STUDENTS GET A TAXI HOME ON NIGHT OUT

A new student service that has been making its way across the entire country has now arrived in Dundalk. Dash (Driving All Students Home) allows students to get taxis even when they have no cash, bank card or phone, while also ensuring drivers get paid.

Dash was invented by NUI Galway students who tested it with taxi drivers in their city before officially launching it. Dundalk IT Student’s Union are the latest to join the initiative along with Fives Cabs and Sevens Cabs and Coaches. The drivers are currently being registered on the platform so the students of Dundalk will be able to avail of the service in the coming days. Dash aims to create an invisible safety network for students all over the country regardless of the contents of their pocket.

Students can sign up for free at www. projectdash.ie, upload an ID photo of themselves, add a bank card to pay for emergency taxis, and create a four-digit pin. The students then simply tell the taxi driver their name and Dash PIN number, which allows the driver to check their account on a driver app. Once the driver has verified the fare, the app then processes the payment upon arrival at the destination

Richie Commins, final year student head of the project said: ‘Our project has taken off with such pace, we are literally racing around the country to different colleges. We’re delighted to have made the trip up to Dundalk and get support from Sevens and Fives. The students union have really helped the nationwide campaign by helping making the service available.’

The project is rolling out with the aim of seeing a decline in the amount of tragic incidents that may occur while students commute on foot late at night if they don’t have money for a taxi.

Paddy Duffy Student’s Union Welfare officer said: ‘I think this project is a great incentive for personal safety to the students of DKIT and students across the country. I personally understand how easy it is to forget to leave yourself money to get home safe. I think this DASH project will really help to ensure the safety of possibly vulnerable students.’