The Late Night Ride Service did not run Feb.1 because of understaffing.

The ride service provides free safe transportation to students Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Last school year, the ride service transported more than 2,000 NIU students

A Feb. 2 memo sent to Student Association staff and SA Mass Transit Board members by SAMTB Chairman Dave Pack stated the problem was “due to an unavoidable lack of employee coverage.”

The service’s four employees were unable to work that evening. “It was by coincidence they all had other obligations,” Pack said.

“This is the first time in almost two years of operation the Service has not run,” he said.

The memo also stated “this should never happen again because we have nine employee applicants for the Late Night.”

At Monday’s SAMTB meeting Bill Black, the ride service director, said we are in the process of running criminal and driving checks on all the applicants and hope to have new employees this weekend.

In other SAMTB business, Routes 2 and 6 will leave the student center at 8:50 p.m., instead of 8:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Feb. 12. This is to accommodate students attending night classes.

The SAMTB long-range planning committee is reviewing the possibility of summer service.

Pack said “a thorough service for students and the city of DeKalb could be provided for $14,000,” about $2 per student

“I don’t think this is something we could see this summer,” but rather the summer of 1991, Pack said.

The $14,000 estimate would provide 2 buses for summer school students, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 8 weeks.