The campus shuttle buses have been around for approximately 10 years, but this year students are being charged a fee of $13 a semester.

Whether or not the student rides, they must pay.

"I think it's crap," said Jessica Schmidt, a junior, "because I'm not paying $13 to go to West Ridge. I go to Signer's and that's it. I don't even use the bus because it's too slow. I can walk up the hill faster."

This new transportation fee stems from a policy decision that the university ought to own its buses rather than rent them. Campus transportation administrators concluded that it is easier to deal with and maintain buses that the university owns. Also, with the rising cost of gas, it was decided that the fee was needed immediately.

"The transportation fee is 20 percent of the students parking decal fee," said Facilities Services spokesperson Cheri Renson. "The staff and faculty's parking fees went up 20 percent while the full time students parking stayed the same."

"The fee goes toward the purchase of new buses so we can have them available instead of renting them," she added, pointing out that the money raised is used for maintenance as well.

"The fee also goes toward the operators of the buses, snow removal and electricity," Renson said, "and heat for the huts students use to wait for the shuttle."

There are other fees on campus that students are forced to pay, such as the Student Recreation Center fee and the Health Center fee. Not all students take advantage of these services, but they are charged anyway. "The shuttle bus is just another service open for use by all students who attend UAF," Renson said.

The Master Planning Committee split the fee between all students rather than make a portion of the users pay, or charge individual riders as they board. "This was the best plan so everyone gets treated equally," Renson said.

But not everyone agrees.

"While I understand it may not be completely realistic to instate a per-ride charge on the shuttle bus service," said freshman Rob Parks, "I believe it would behoove the university to put thought into implementing a new payment program that would allow students to pay for the shuttle bus service only if they would be using it that semester."

Parks also objects to paying for a service that mainly benefits the main campus.

"I think, while the shuttle buses are very useful due to the parking restraints at the main campus," the UAF freshman said, "it is not fair that all students must pay the fee if they are not enrolled in classes at the main campus."

The fee isn't a huge deal to some. "I don't really care," said Daniel Flynn, a junior. "The money's not coming out of my pocket."

Flynn acknowledged that he has not ridden the shuttles lately. "Last year I rode it all the time," he said. "(The shuttle) made me late."

The purchase of new buses is "great," said Flynn. "That's wonderful. I'm happy."

The problem for most students seems to be that this fee is new. Already facing a long list of fees, some find it hard to accept any new assessments, no matter how small.

Others contend the charge is simply unfair. "They're making a profit off of us," declared Schmidt. "Most of the people who are on the bus live in the dorms and the people who run the shuttle buses are very grumpy," the junior complained. "I don't think it's fair to make everyone pay this fee."

The new buses are due to arrive after Thanksgiving.