Bulldog Taxi to offer convenient transportation alternative

Illustration by: Will Madison

Bulldog Taxi is a program run by the UMD Student Association which partners with local cab companies, currently only Yellow Door, to offer reduced fare. Currently, Bulldog Taxi is working with local cab company Yellow Door on an app that will allow users to call a cab in a more accommodating way.

“Once [the app] is up and running, it will be more convenient than calling on the phone,” said Thomas Djerf, director of Bulldog Taxi. “Say you are out at Grandma’s or a loud house party and you need a ride home. Making a phone call, or finding somewhere quiet to do so, may be difficult.”

Djerf said he has yet to see the app in action.

“The owner of Yellow Door wants to make sure all of the bugs have been worked out before he releases it for riders to use,” Djerf said. “Currently they are using the app on their side to coordinate amongst drivers and they have an automated dispatcher set up.”

Djerf said another nice thing about the app is that phone lines can often become busy and this new app will better enable riders to contact a dispatcher.

Bulldog Taxi fare is reduced by 50 percent for current UMD students. Students can take Bulldog Taxi anywhere in Duluth year-round. Taxis are also available at any hour of the day, but students must have their Ucard accessible to receive the discounted rate.

The Yellow Door Taxi Company currently has six taxis outfitted with Nintendo Wii systems which allows riders to play Mario Kart. Yellow Door recently purchased a wheelchair accessible van, allowing Bulldog Taxi to better serve students with different abilities. For a flat fee, that same van can be requested for moving furniture that a student may have purchased.

One advantage Bulldog Taxi has, compared to the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA), is its door-to-door service.

“In the middle of winter you don’t want to walk four blocks through the snow just to stand at a bus stop for five to fifteen minutes,” Djerf said. “Having your ride call you when they’re right outside is much more convenient.”