Startup Shuttle Service To Use School Buses To Take Late-Night Revelers Across The Bay
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A new overnight transportation service is set to launch this month targeting late-night revelers on both sides of the bay in order to get them home safely.
Only eight miles separate San Francisco from the East Bay, but when Bay Area Rapid Transit trains stop operating at midnight, getting home safely–and cheaply–is a challenge.
Oakland-based company Night School will use a small fleet of off-duty school buses for a nostalgic travel option for night owls.
The buses - driven by off-duty school bus drivers - will take people between 17th and Telegraph Streets in Oakland and 18th and Valencia Streets in the Mission District on the weekends between midnight and 4 a.m.
Founders Seth Capron, an Oakland resident, and Alex Kaufman told the Bold Italic their service is targeting the Mission District since it's very active at night but not well-served by AC Transit.
"If people have a way to get home that is reliable and affordable, I hope they will be less tempted to drive drunk," Kaufman said.
There's also an app for the service so passengers can follow bus locations in real time, which will be scheduled every 25 minutes.
The buses can carry 52 passengers along with bikes. The service will begin May 23, offering monthly unlimited rides for a $10 membership fee.
According to the Night School's website, five percent of the profits will go to the Great Oakland Public Schools Leadership Center to train teachers in Oakland.
