Gainesville’s fleet of vehicles that give rides to students is getting some new wheels.
The Gotcha Group, which stands for Green Operated Transit Carrying Humanity Around, will launch six-seat electric vehicles to transport college students and employees around for free this fall.
Sean Flood, CEO of The Gotcha Group, along with the help of his business partners, Drew Sfugaras and Stephen Donehoo, worked together with the manufacturer to design the Japanese-built vehicles.
The Gotcha rides are powered by 12 car batteries and are completely customizable, Flood said.
Although the service is free, the drivers are recruited college students who work on tips.
The service launched Sept. 3, just in time to help out with gameday traffic. In addition to students, The Gotcha Group helps patients and workers of Shands get around.
There are three Gotcha rides that have two main shifts. The first shift lasts from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., which allows for students to get to class around the outside of campus and others to get to Shands.
After bringing the vehicles home for a recharge on their rapid charge system, they begin the second shift at 10 p.m. to provide students a ride downtown or wherever they may be going.
Although the vehicles do not operate on campus during the day to avoid conflicts with the government-funded RTS bus system, they will be a great option for special event traffic, said Scott Fox, director of transportation and parking at UF.
He said they will be especially useful for events held in areas of campus that are auto-restricted, such as the auditorium.
“We’re looking forward to watching the service grow and seeing what we can do to fill a transportation need we can’t fill with existing services,” Fox said.
