Why Columbia’s free downtown buses make no sense

Living in the Vista and spending a lot of time on the streets, I have concluded that the Soda Cap bus service offering free rides around Five Points, the Vista, Allen-Benedict and Main Street is designed for failure.

Two large empty buses, with no indication of the service they provide, making infrequent stops on already-crowded streets makes no sense at all.

If Columbia is serious about using such a service to increase business in the downtown area, I recommend replacing the big buses with four 16-passenger vans. They should have the words “Free Downtown Shuttle” in big letters on both sides, front and rear, and more frequent stops. I predict they would be full.