Tufts' Boston Bus Shuttle, which transported students between the Medford/Somerville campus and downtown Boston on weekend nights, was canceled last week after Peter Pan Bus Lines of Boston terminated its contract with the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate for the rest of the year because the company's drivers were uncomfortable with the high incidence of drunk student passengers.
Sophomore Senator C.J. Mourning, chair of the TCU Senate's Services Committee, said the cancellation was bad news for students since the shuttle was so popular that students were sometimes turned away.
"It was very popular, which makes it even more unfortunate that it had to be cancelled," Mourning said.
Both Mourning and Jamie Brown, assistant director of student activities, said the company provided only minimal details as to why it canceled the shuttle, simply saying that its drivers didn't feel safe with the high level of intoxicated students riding the bus.
"They just said that they were uncomfortable carrying intoxicated students," Brown said.
Mourning had a similar response. "I guess they just weren't expecting as many intoxicated students as were on the buses. It was an overall concern," she said.
The shuttle ran for just over a month, from the last weekend in February to the last weekend in March, according to Mourning. It ran Friday and Saturday nights every hour between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Senior and TCU Historian Alex Pryor is confident that the shuttle will return next school year, despite this year's unexpected cancellation.
"I know the Senate's dedicated to it," Pryor said. "We've had it in the past and we have it in our budget. It's unfortunate [the cancellation] happened so late in the year when we couldn't start up again."
She suggested that even if Peter Pan will not resume the shuttle service, other companies might be able to take its place.
"I imagine there are bus companies that will do this," she said. "My guess [is] that we would find another bus company that would be willing."
Pryor said that although the shuttle was intended to provide a safe means for Tufts students - both intoxicated and sober - to return to campus after spending the night in Boston, the prospect of transporting inebriated students had not been clearly articulated to the bus company.
"When we make a deal with the bus companies, we never propose [the students' projected sobriety] to them," Pryor said.
Peter Pan did not expect to deal with intoxicated students, she added. "They were surprised by how bad it was."
A Peter Pan representative could not be reached after repeated inquiries.
According to Brown, the bus company offered suggestions to counteract the threat of the intoxicated students.
The company gave the TCU the option of providing security at the bus stops both at Tufts and in Boston. This was not a feasible option for the Senate, Brown said.
The Boston Bus Shuttle has existed for about four years. It was discontinued for the fall semester due to lack of interest and funding, but after last semester's Senate survey demonstrated increased enthusiasm, it was re-commissioned.
Originally, the shuttle was contracted with Joseph's Limousine and Transportation. The Senate decided to switch to Peter Pan when the shuttle resumed this semester. Peter Pan runs similar services with other schools in the Boston area.
