Cowbell Cabs is a free taxi service implemented by the Student Association at Mississippi State University. The service was started in the August under the administration of SA president Brett Harris.
Harris, senior marketing and management major, started Cowbell Cabs with the intent to help students be safe during their weekends in Starkville. The service is allowed to remain free due to funding that the SA receives. 
“The Student Association receives some of its funding from the Starkville food and beverage tax,” Harris said. “That funding has gone to several SA initiatives along with Cowbell Cabs.”
According to Harris, the service was created after seeing success at other universities. 
“Several SEC schools implement a similar program,” he said. “We saw the success that they were having and decided we would start Cowbell Cabs at MSU.” 
The now Cowbell Cabs service was the product of an effort by the SA to improve the previous safe-ride program, the Night Route. This was a late night shuttle that serviced the Cotton District and campus.
SA Chief Administrative Officer JoJo Dodd, junior economics major, helps with the logistics of the cab service. 
“We were not satisfied with the number of students using the service and sought out better arrangements to offer a better, more widely used service and to spend the Student Association budget most efficiently,” he said.
Any student with a valid ID can use the cab service. 
“Hailing a cab is incredibly easy,” Dodd said.
“Students can either call (662) 813-0084 and arrange to be picked up, or if they see a cab in town, they can just hop in a cab and head home.”
Cowbell Cabs operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on non-home game weekends. On home game weekends, Cowbell Cabs operate only on Thursday nights.
“We are in the assessment process now,” Dodd said. “We will be contacting students who have used the service and seeking their input into the program’s future. We expect to know more details later in the year.”
Brad Ward, student affairs graduate student, has first hand experience with the Cowbell Cabs service during one of the first nights Cowbell Cabs was introduced to Starkville. Ward said he was satisfied overall with his riding experience with Cowbell Cab service. 
“It was good,” Ward said. “The driver was really nice when he picked us up.” 
Ward along with his two other friends were asked to provide at least two valid student IDs per the Cowbell Cabs usage policy of at least one ID per every two riders. Ward said he recommends the service to any student and said he may utilize Cowbell Cabs again in the future.