Since 2007, Gopher Chauffeur, a safe ride-home program through Boynton Health, employed student drivers to ensure a safe community and connection with their peers. But all this could change in the next semester. 

In early September, student driver Val Lopez was told by her supervisor that she and her coworkers would no longer be student employees of Boynton Health, which currently runs the program, by next semester. 

Lopez said according to her supervisor, the University’s Department of Public Safety would be taking over the program. 

“From my understanding, it sounds like there was ongoing conversation all summer long about some of the capacities of Boynton Health and Gopher Chauffeur,” Lopez said. “Boynton Health is an eight to four o’clock service, and it’s kind of difficult to have supervisors that are there.” 

Student driver Isabelle Frisch started a petition on Sept. 24 to get more people involved and aware of this change. 

“I started as a freshman, and it really helped me feel comfortable on campus, just driving around, driving around Dinkytown, seeing what’s going on,” Frisch said. “It’s very sad making all these changes.”

Frisch said although there may be changes to takeover plans, drivers were told the program should be handed to a different department for safety reasons. 

“I think a part of it was the new president,” Frisch said. “The Department of Public Safety was kind of pushing for it when the old president was leaving, and then when the new president was up, they kind of just pushed it right away.”  

For Frisch, safety was not an issue, and working with students has been Gopher Chauffeur’s mission since 2007, Frisch said. 

Once their contracts are terminated in December, student drivers will have the option of reapplying. Although the Department of Public Safety said former drivers may retain their positions after reapplication, there will be new rules and added responsibilities that many of the drivers do not want to change. 

“Once we do get handed over, I feel like students will definitely be less likely to use the service just with all the additions,” Frisch said. “None of the staff are very happy with it.”

Frisch said that, although riders will not be affected by the changes, the new rules for drivers might make rides less fun. 

New additions include having one driver in the car instead of two, meaning drivers can not take turns driving; a camera in each car, which Frisch said could make riders uncomfortable and less inclined to use the service; and more supervision in cars.

Frisch said these changes may sound good, but the current system has had no issues with safety whatsoever. 

“It’s just a big change all at once, which none of us really felt was necessary,” Frisch said. “And none of us really want to deal with any of that.”

Lopez, who already quit her Gopher Chauffeur job, told her supervisor she was upset with the lack of student employee input in the change.  

“It was disappointing,” Lopez said. “It was kind of sad too, because I think that student input is really important for things on campus, especially for a resource that is run by students.”

Correction: A previous version of this article stated Gopher Chauffeur was student-run. It was a program through Boynton Health.