Tulsa Transit offers free rides for the summer as gas prices remain high

Listen to this article here Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

TULSA, Okla — From May 1 to June 30,  Tulsa Transit will offer free fares on all fixed bus routes for residents across the city.

As gas prices remain high amidst decades-high inflation and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Tulsa Transit hopes to lure more riders to utilize public transportation.

“We appreciate our loyal riders and hope the free fares will persuade new riders to try transit and see it as a first choice for transportation,” Scott Mar, Tulsa Transit general manager, said in a press release.

Tulsa Transit seeks to help riders squeezed by high gas prices

Notably, gas prices have gotten so high in recent weeks that wealthy philanthropists have begun dishing out cash giveaways.

“We got to get out here. People are hurting. People have situations. One man literally pushed his car up here, was out of gas. Another lady came and said I don’t need gas but I need prayer,” said Charlotte, N.C. Pastor Brian Carn after giving away $10,000 to the community in March. Kingdom City Church provided free gas to more than 300 drivers during their “Gas on God” event. Meanwhile, Tulsa Transit seeks to alleviate that burden for the summer.

Currently, the average price of gas nationally rests at $4.12, according to AAA. Yet the price reached as high as $7 in parts of California this year.

The surge in gas prices has affected low-income and marginalized families the most. Meanwhile, Tulsa Transit seeks to address the disparity by offering free rides for all.

Board member supports free rides

Emeka Nnaka is a Tulsa Transit board member. “Anything we can do to help our community is a good thing,” Nnaka told The Black Wall Street Times. “Tulsa is not a city that relies only on public transit so anything we can do” to encourage more use of the public service is a good thing, he added.

Riders can download the SPOT app to track their bus in real time. More information about the app can be found at http://tulsatransit.org/the-spot-app-is-here/

The Tulsa Transit free fares are available for all fixed routes but do not include the LIFT program. 

For more information about the free fares, call (918) 582-2100 or visit www.tulsatransit.org.