Wichita officially went up on the cool charts last week when Uber, a transportation system managed by a smartphone application, arrived in 22 more cities in the United States, including Wichita.

The company, which is based in San Francisco but operates in 100 cities in the U.S. and in 45 countries around the world, is operated by a free app downloaded on Apple, Android and BlackBerry devices. It is ranked four out of five stars on the Apple App Store.

The app connects prospective passengers with drivers in the area, much like a taxi service. But Uber drivers use their own vehicles, which cannot be more than four years old.

Registering for the app requires an email, mobile number, name and credit card number or PayPal account — no cash and no tipping required. The app can send text messages and notifications to update users on a ride.

Use a drag and drop pin to locate your current location, and the app tells how long it will take for a ride to arrive at that location. A test run suggested six minutes before a driver could arrive at Wichita State University.

Users have a matter of seconds to choose from a variety of local drivers, who complete extensive background checks and are tracked with GPS devices. An exact number of drivers in the area is currently unavailable.

Uber charges a $2 base fee, $1.65 per mile and 20 cents every minute a driver waits for a passenger. There is a minimum cost of $5 per trip.

The app would be a good resource for students that don’t have vehicles on campus, especially international and student athletes.

Taxi services typically run more expensive than Uber and the convenience of a smartphone app make it simple and easy to use for college students.

Uber drivers seem safe and reliable, and the use of credit cards rather than cash would be appealing to students.

— For the editorial board, Shelby Reynolds