Oakland University’s Bear Buses are currently understaffed and seeking new drivers.

In the past, they have been able to run four shuttle routes on a regular schedule, but the current lack of drivers has caused the schedule to vary each day, negatively affecting students who rely on the service.

Holly Scott, a third-year transfer student, is a frequent Bear Bus rider. She doesn’t own a car and depends on the buses to take her off campus.

“Now that there are less drivers, not all the routes are running every day,” she said. “Sometimes when I need to go to Meijer, I can’t because [the] Meijer route isn’t running.”

Though the recent understaffing issue has affected when Scott can take trips to the store, she still continues to use the buses.

“I have to wait a little longer and plan my trips ahead of time, but it still gets me where I need to go, which is convenient enough for me,” she said.

“My job is so much fun,” Bear Bus driver Natalie Kreps said. “I enjoy meeting new students and I love the staff I work with. I’d recommend this job to anyone.”

Kreps believes OU students are fortunate to have the Bear Bus, especially those who don’t own cars.

“I think more students should value this service, and take advantage of it,” she said.

The Bear Buses’ locations can be tracked through the TransLoc Rider app, which is available at http://oakland.transloc.com/info/mobile.

An informational Bear Bus Day event was held Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students who missed the event are still able to apply for driving positions on Handshake or by sending a resume and cover letter to [email protected].