Starting on Oct. 29, Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) will resume Late Nite Service, after it was canceled on Oct. 12 due to “excessive mistreatment” of employees and buses.

Late Nite Service was canceled two weeks ago, after the Student Association (SA) and OCCT had warned students repeatedly that noncompliance with OCCT’s rules would result in the suspension of the service. Student noncompliance included multiple incidents of verbal assaults, throwing of objects and damaging of OCCT property.

According to a statement released by the SA and OCCT, this service will remain “probationary” for the remainder of the fall 2021 semester, with OCCT saying that it reserves the right to cancel these routes at any time.

Jake Abrams, ‘20, public relations coordinator for OCCT, said the Late Nite routes will be reinstated due to recent positive changes in student behavior.

“A noticeable uptick in mask compliance, appreciation and regard for the safety and health protocols implemented for riders and respect for OCCT personnel administering these policies was a significant contributing factor to the decision to reinstate Late Nite Services,” Abrams wrote in an email. “That, coupled with the decrease in aggression, rowdiness and hostility our drivers and buses face made us cautiously optimistic in resuming OCCT Late Nite Service.”

Abrams also wrote that OCCT will be monitoring all Late Nite bus footage, and if any instances of “disrespect, disregard and mistreatment” occur again, OCCT will cancel Late Nite Service for the duration of the semester.

David Hatami, SA president, CEO of OCCT and a senior double-majoring in political science and business administration, said he felt it was important that students continue following the rules and safety protocols set in place by OCCT, so these services can continue for everyone who needs them.

“Despite service being canceled only about two weeks ago, we have seen a positive change in student behavior on our buses, particularly on our evening weekend routes,” Hatami wrote in an email. “While some would argue this may not be enough time to determine a long-term change in student conduct, our team understands the value that our Late Nite routes bring to our students, and think it would mean a lot to our student body to provide the routes for Halloween.”

Hatami also said that OCCT and the SA will not hesitate to cancel the service again if student behavior regresses to what it was like at the beginning half of the semester.

“However, the probationary nature of these routes means that if we see a negative turn in student behavior once again, we will be quick to terminate the routes once again immediately and at any point,” Hatami wrote. “If numerous instances of harmful student behavior are reported, another cancellation can happen as soon as this Saturday and will most likely come without much prior warning, unlike our previous decisions.”

Kelsie Keuerleber, a senior majoring in psychology, said she’s happy Late Nite Service will be brought back, but agreed that student behavior must improve.

“I’m very apprehensive about Late Night Service being brought back,” Keuerleber said. “I don’t think it’s been long enough to determine if the students have truly gotten better, and I think that they will be especially out of hand during Halloween weekend.”

Salenna Weiner, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, uses the buses frequently to get back and forth from campus and her apartment, and is also concerned about other students’ behavior resulting in the cancellation of the routes that she needs.

“I live off campus and I don’t drive, so I rely on the buses to get home when I stay on campus late on weekends,” said Weiner. “But I think the mistreatment of the student bus staff is completely out of hand, and that they don’t deserve to be verbally abused by students.”