New mobile application provides safe, free nighttime rides for UF students, employees

February 13, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida students and employees can now request safe and free nighttime rides with a new mobile application, SNAP UF.

The application was created for the Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol, known as SNAP, program and was launched in January. The SNAP UF app allows students and employees to request a ride with just a few taps of their fingers and to see the location of the SNAP van in real time on a map. The driver can also notify the student when he or she has arrived using a “honk” function, sending a push notification directly to the student’s smartphone. The app is available for download on the App Store and Google play.

UF Student Government, Transportation and Parking Services and the UF Police Department sponsored the application, which was developed by Totuit, a mobile platform development company based at UF’s Innovation Hub.

“The SNAP UF app is a game changer for safe ride services, allowing students to request rides with just a few taps on their smartphones, making the SNAP transportation service more accessible and efficient,” said TJ Villamil, UF Student Body President. “We are excited to provide our students with the latest in mobile technology, creating a safer and more secure campus for everyone.”

Student Government’s organization, Nightlife Navigators, approached Totuit last summer with the idea of creating a mobile solution that would improve the overall efficiency and experience of SNAP for students. The SNAP UF app also involves a driver view displaying all ride requests in real time. Drivers can now communicate directly with the riders using real time updates, including ETAs and arrivals sent via push notifications.

SNAP safely transports an average of 300 passengers per night throughout campus. The application will allow SNAP to increase this number while reducing costs for the overall program. The SNAP UF app received more than 1,000 downloads during the first week of the spring semester.

Here is a link to the SNAP UF app:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snap-uf/id576636579?ls=1&mt=8