Shuttle bus policies to be enforced

Too many passengers during peak hours are taking their toll on the University's four shuttle buses. In fact, last month, the springs broke on one of the buses while it was in transit between campuses.

As a result, the guidelines on bus capacity and eligibility will be enforced more rigourously. Pat Pietromonaco, from Distribution Services, said that during the exam period, bus drivers will do random checks for Concordia ID cards to make sure that passengers qualify, and prohibit non-Concordians from riding.

Eligible riders are those who need to travel between campuses for class or work. However, this does not include people who use the shuttle bus to travel between Concordia and their home. Long line-ups and packed buses during morning and late-afternoon rush hours raise the suspicion that the shuttle bus is being used this way.

While the SCTUM public transport system often comes in for high praise in general, it is awkward between the Loyola and Sir George Williams Campuses, and people may be tempted to use the shuttle bus instead. Random checks of ID won't fix the problem, so Pietromonaco is asking people for their cooperation.

The big red shuttle buses have 40 seats each. Ministry of Transport regulations allow for 55 passengers at any one time, including the driver. Account is also taken of wheelchair access, and the fact that the buses stop at CONCAVE, an Engineering and Computer Science facility half-way between the campuses.

The buses are well inspected and maintained, Pietromonaco said, but overloading them frequently causes breakdowns. - BB