By Melody Foree

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Cats Cab, which offers free rides home for students, got two more cabs before the beginning of the fall semester.

Cats Cab began as a Student Government Association initiative in 2013 with five cabs. The service gives free rides within New Circle Road to students with a Wildcard ID.

More than 500 students used Cats Cab during the first weekend of the 2015-16 school year. Cats Cab served 205 more students this year compared to last year.

UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said the SGA pays Bluegrass Cab $82,500 per academic year for Cats Cab, and the SGA is currently looking for funding partners to help with the cost.

Cats Cab runs Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. UK students may bring one guest and the cabs can carry up to five passengers.

“The Cats Cab is not made for partying more — it’s not the ride to the party, it’s the safe ride home,” said Drew Henderson, a civil engineering senior and director of campus safety for UK’s Student Government Association.

“(You can’t) set a price on providing safety needs for students,” Henderson said.