Need a lift in Old Town Bluffton? A bike taxi service is now free on certain evenings
Residents of Old Town Bluffton might consider leaving their golf carts at home in favor of another kind of open-air transportation, thanks to a new program that began over Labor Day weekend.
The town announced Friday it is using tax funds to make a local bike taxi service available to the public for free throughout the Bluffton Historic District.
“This is a great opportunity for us, a Bluffton-based business, to provide a service which will enhance the convenience of the Historic District during peak dinner hours,” said Trey Snow, owner of Bluffton Bike Taxi, in a town news release.
To hail a three-wheeled bicycle taxi from anywhere in the historic district, residents and visitors can call the rickshaw service at 843-707-6807 or message the company on Facebook or Instagram.
The taxi service, which has been in business since 2016, operates inside an area approximately 1.5 miles from the center of the historic district, according to its website.
The town has also installed signs to designate two pick-up locations, one in Wright Family Park at the end of Calhoun Street and the other at Martin Family Park on Boundary Street, according to a news release. Each of these locations also have a parking lot to leave a car.
The program will be funded by local hospitality tax, a 2% tax on sales of prepared food and beverages sold at establishments within town limits that is also in place in many other South Carolina cities and that, in most cases, must be spent exclusively on tourism-related programs.
When is the free bike taxi available?
The pedicab service will be free courtesy of the town only at certain times of the week. Catch a free bike taxi during the following schedule:
- Tuesdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fridays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The free bike taxi program began over Labor Day weekend, according to the town.
“We hope residents and guests enjoy this service as a new dimension of experiencing Bluffton,” Town Manager Marc Orlando said in the news release.
