Low cost rideshare service via Tesla SUVs hitting streets of Florida city this week
Rides around Tampa's downtown to cost $2 per person
DASH is coming to Tampa, Florida.
The Tesla-powered ride service debuts Thursday afternoon with limited hours and will be operating on a full-time daily schedule starting Friday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
DASH stands for Downtown Area Shared Hubs. Rides are requested through an app and cost $2 per person.
Passengers will be able to catch a ride on Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to Tampa Downtown Partnership, which funds the service.
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A full side view of a Tesla Model Y that will be used for Tampa's downtown DASH program. (Tampa Downtown Partnership)
"The wide-ranging hours are designed to serve the wide range of people who live, work, and play in Downtown Tampa," Tampa Downtown Partnership's website states.
Professional "driver-ambassadors" in all-electric black and yellow Tesla Model Y vehicles will take passengers between more than 20 hub locations throughout downtown Tampa. The app will pair up to four passengers to share each hub-to-hub trip, according to a press release.
The driver-ambassadors will have received "extensive safety and driving training, along with training as an expert guide to Downtown’s seven unique neighborhoods" after passing a background check. They are prohibited from accepting tips.
"We wanted to make sure this new way to get around Downtown is just as distinctive as the other transportation options it’ll be joining. When you think about the streetcar with its classic look, or a colorful e-bike or scooter, or the swords on the side of the Pirate Water Taxi, we know DASH’s bright yellow Teslas will be a great addition," said Shaun Drinkard, interim president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
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The back windshield of a DASH Tesla Model Y. (Tampa Downtown Partnership)
A close look at a wrapped Tesla Model Y that will be participating in Tampa's DASH program. (Tampa Downtown Partnership)
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DASH will not run on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day or during Tampa's traditional Gasparilla event.
No pets are allowed in the Tesla Model Ys, but accommodations will be made for riders with service animals. DASH vehicles are not equipped with car/booster seats for children, but riders are permitted to bring their own.
Tampa Downtown Partnership is a private, membership-based not-for-profit composed of companies, organizations and individuals with a common goal of advancing Tampa’s downtown. Through an annual contract with the City of Tampa, Tampa Downtown Partnership administers the Special Services District. In addition to Tampa’s Downtown Guides and Clean Team, Tampa Downtown Partnership serves downtown through marketing, business development, transportation, advocacy, public space activation, planning and beautification.