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U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
Inconsistent bus schedule frustrates students By Tatyana Bazard C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Bull Runner drivers’ lunch and bathroom breaks are creating more of a concern for students than one would expect. Some students are voicing their concerns with the lack of accuracy, which is all due to Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) being understaffed. Students use the mobile “MyUSF” app to track the Bull Runner’s routes and estimated time frames. According to the Assistant Director of PATS Marie Bowen, 80 full-time employees are needed in order to timely meet the needs of students. However, there are currently only 50 on staff. Buses are arriving at stops every 30 to 40 minutes. Bowen said the goal is to have a bus come every 15 minutes but they’re “not there yet.”
“We’re constantly trying to hire people but it takes time,” Bowen said. “Training for the permit takes two to three months and then you train for the license. When people find out how long it takes, they leave. That’s our issue — it’s an ongoing process. We can’t hire just anybody.” However, it has not helped Namira Iqbal, a freshman studying computer science, who takes the C-route. She says that the app does not show when drivers take breaks which only confuses her because she’s not sure if she should try to catch another bus. “I would like to know if the drivers are on a break or if there is a change between the shift,” Iqbal said. “There should be a feature that shows a delay in the time or a prediction, so you can already expect the delay and be
n See ROUTE on PAGE 3
Students complain about the reliability of the Bull Runner and its app, but PATS officials say this is a result of understaffing. ORACLE FILE PHOTO
UP plans to combat rising number of auto burglaries By Sam Newlon A S S O C I A T E
E D I T O R
USF Police Department (UP) reported 10 auto burglaries more than a month into the semester, which was a surge from the same time span in 2018, which only saw three. Despite UP’s initial crime alert about the burglaries, the
incidents haven’t stopped. In fact, they seem to have gotten worse. UP reported that six auto burglaries occurred during the early morning hours of March 1. UP estimated that all the robberies happened within a fivehour time frame starting at 2:40 a.m. “During the overnight hours, six vehicles were entered
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unlawfully and various items were removed,” UP’s crime alert stated March 1. “These burglaries occurred in USF Parking lot 17 and lot 35 near USF Holly and USF Maple.” Lots 35 and 17 are located next to Maple Drive. Lot 35 is located east, across the street from the Maple dorms and lot 17 is located directly south of the dorms.
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UP detectives are actively investigating these cases, according to UP Captain Meg Ross. “We can’t publicize our specific plan, but there will certainly be more patrol routes through parking lots,” Ross said. “We also will be on the lookout for at-risk cars during these patrols to try to prevent these break-ins from
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happening at all.” UP spokeswoman Audrey Clarke told The Oracle that along with these increased patrols, UP will be taking other actions in an attempt to curb these burglaries. There are still no suspects in these cases but Ross said that UP is working with other local
n See BREAK-IN on PAGE 2
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