2008 Woodie Awards
Price of Hartford Shuttle Exorbitant
Our Opinion
Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Commentary
It costs $15 to take the Fung Wah bus from South Station in Boston to Chinatown in New York City. It costs $28.50 to take a Greyhound from Hartford to Boston, reserving only one hour in advance. For a small fee of $14, one can hop a Metro North train to New York City from New Haven. But getting from UConn to Hartford via university operated transportation is going to cost you - to the tune of $50 one-way.
At that price, it is probably less painful to walk.
Certainly, the shuttle offers an extra convenience to those without automobiles or those who can afford to pony up a little extra dough to have the service when they want it. But, when it costs $23 for a round trip ticket from the UConn Co-op to Hartford by a Bonanza bus, it seems as though the UConn service has priced itself out of the market.
UConn is offering the shuttle service and promoting it as a student-friendly option, but it appears like simply a scheme to make money off of those with no other option. If the service takes no profit whatsoever, then it simply has too many overhead costs to be effective.
Even for the high price, it lacks convenience. Reservations for the service must be made one week in advance, barring extenuating circumstances. But, a walk-up traveler can hop on the Bonanza bus for a quarter of the cost, and find themselves in Union Station all the same.
The driver of the university shuttle is a student employee, who receives no more benefit than an hourly wage. The cost of gas to travel between Hartford and UConn is not a prohibitive cost either. But UConn is also factoring in the depreciation of the vehicle involved and passing the cost directly on to the students - as though the $35 transit fee students, many of whom never step foot inside a campus bus, could not help defray the cost.
Perhaps raising this fee just a tiny bit per student, or raising the cost of a parking pass by a few cents, or even raising the cost of one singular parking violation by one dollar would cover this cost while avoiding passing a prohibitive cost on to trapped travelers. Recognizing that a service this expensive, when most students have friends with vehicles who will gladly lend a hand, will force UConn to lower the transportation price.
Students looking to head home for the weekend, or those facing an unexpected trip home, should not be forced to pay $50 for a short 35-minute bus ride to Hartford. If the $50 price tag is really the only way for the service to be viable - then what is the point?
At that price, it is probably less painful to walk.
Certainly, the shuttle offers an extra convenience to those without automobiles or those who can afford to pony up a little extra dough to have the service when they want it. But, when it costs $23 for a round trip ticket from the UConn Co-op to Hartford by a Bonanza bus, it seems as though the UConn service has priced itself out of the market.
UConn is offering the shuttle service and promoting it as a student-friendly option, but it appears like simply a scheme to make money off of those with no other option. If the service takes no profit whatsoever, then it simply has too many overhead costs to be effective.
Even for the high price, it lacks convenience. Reservations for the service must be made one week in advance, barring extenuating circumstances. But, a walk-up traveler can hop on the Bonanza bus for a quarter of the cost, and find themselves in Union Station all the same.
The driver of the university shuttle is a student employee, who receives no more benefit than an hourly wage. The cost of gas to travel between Hartford and UConn is not a prohibitive cost either. But UConn is also factoring in the depreciation of the vehicle involved and passing the cost directly on to the students - as though the $35 transit fee students, many of whom never step foot inside a campus bus, could not help defray the cost.
Perhaps raising this fee just a tiny bit per student, or raising the cost of a parking pass by a few cents, or even raising the cost of one singular parking violation by one dollar would cover this cost while avoiding passing a prohibitive cost on to trapped travelers. Recognizing that a service this expensive, when most students have friends with vehicles who will gladly lend a hand, will force UConn to lower the transportation price.
Students looking to head home for the weekend, or those facing an unexpected trip home, should not be forced to pay $50 for a short 35-minute bus ride to Hartford. If the $50 price tag is really the only way for the service to be viable - then what is the point?
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jerome
posted 4/07/08 @ 11:03 AM EST
I am one person who has used the peterpan/bonanza bus quite frequently to travel to and fro to Hartford. When I saw that price I said that is totally outrageous. (Continued…)
john
posted 4/07/08 @ 12:42 PM EST
There is a market for students wanting to go to Hartford. I think if UConn wants to help students, they should put a little more structure into this program, thereby reducing the costs and not having to charge that crazy price of $50 one way (maybe they meant per van and not per person. (Continued…)
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