By Stephen Cooney
The Blue Beetle has been a staple of the University for years, but the navy blue school bus with “Hofstra University” emblazoned on the sides in bright yellow might be running its final route.
Due to age and mechanical problems, the older buses are slowly being retired. The Department of Public Safety has already purchased one new bus, and it is a Star-Trans Eldorado.
Unlike its predecessors, it is white with blue and yellow stripes down the side.
“We went to the new bus because we wanted to change the look,” said Charles Forrest, an assistant director of Public Safety. “We wanted to go from the school bus look to a more modern look. This is in line with buses that are in use on other campuses.”
Even though the bus has changed colors and style, all of the standard equipment of the Blue Beetle is on the new bus, in addition to new features.
The Beetle “makes all the standards: it is handicap accessible, [and] we put advertising racks inside the vehicle,” Forrest said. “It has everything required and has a good ride. I think it looks very good. I think the change is very good,” Forrest added, noting positive feedback the department has received because of the changes.
As the Blue Beetles grow older, more of the new-style buses will be purchased, Forrest said.
Public Safety did not guarantee that they would all be exactly the same as the Star Trans Eldorado, but they will all be in the new, more modern style. “As the fleet grows older and they have to be replaced, they are going to be replaced with buses similar to the type we just bought,” Forrest said.
These new buses are not only more aesthetically pleasing, but they are also more fuel-efficient. Along with being more efficient in fuel costs, the new buses will be used to replace buses that are out of commission or have high repair tags.
“We didn’t just go out and buy a bus because we wanted to buy a bus,” Forrest said. “We had to replace a bus that could not be replaced. We had to take it out of service because it was not able to be fixed.”
The new bus has been used across the campus, even though it is not seen on a regular basis. “It has been put out there. We are using it” Forrest said. “You just probably haven’t seen it.”