The implementation of a late-night ride service, which will operate on a demand-response basis, was approved Monday by the Student Association Mass Transit Board.

The service will operate from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and will start servicing fee-paying students April 1. The six-week pilot program will operate until May 8.

The service is offered free to fee-paying students only, however, students must present an NIU student identification card to use the service, the board decided.

Board member Mike Cassman, also an SA senator, said the cost of the six-week program is about $754. The cost includes driver wages, vehicle costs and promotional costs, Cassman said.

The service also will be restricted to students living within certain geographic boundaries. The west boundary is Stadium Drive; the east boundary is the East Access Road; the south boundary is Illinois Route 88; the north boundary is Bethany Road. Fee-paying students living in Suburban Apartments, Suburban Estates, James Court Apartments and Stonehedge Apartments also can use the service.

Board members debated about whether to use a system to determine which riders to pick up first. Vice Chairman Dave Emerick said, “I don’t think we need to prioritize rides. It will be too expensive.”

Board Chairman Phil Kessler said the drivers should be allowed to use their judgment when picking up riders. “Let them go ahead and pick up two people at once,” he said.

Board member Olin Anderson said service should be given to the first callers.

Cassman said the drivers will call the dispatcher when picking up riders to confirm the rider’s call. The names of riders and the times used will be logged by the drivers, he said.

In other business, the board approved operational hour changes for the handicapped students’ bus effective today through March 31. The service will operate Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m., an hour later than the former time.

Sunday service is extended. The service will begin at 10 a.m. instead of 12 p.m. Board member Robin Snyder said the extra two hours on Sunday was requested by handicapped students so they could attend weekly church services.

After March 31, the bus service will run on a demand-response basis. Snyder said after that date it will be the students’ responsibility to get themselves to classes.

Graduate Assistant Mary Hermsen said letters have been sent to handicapped students to let them know the bus “won’t be servicing class schedules after the 31st.”

Results from the bus survey conducted by the board were given at the meeting. Hermsen said 309 out of 1,000 surveys were returned. She said the on-campus return rate was 35 percent and the off-campus return rate was 27 percent.

“A surprising number of people want break service, especially over summer,” Hermsen said. She said the board might need to discuss the possibility of operating buses during the summer when it discusses long-range planning.