Diego VIta/THE RIDER
Some students are struggling to connect to UTRGV’s free shuttle bus Wi-Fi, despite the university implementing the service across all shuttle buses this Fall.
Maribel Contreras, director of transportation, said the university assigned an employee to monitor and verify all Wi-Fi systems were functioning on all buses, including charter buses.
She said the monitoring process was complete and all buses should have access to free Wi-Fi.
However, some students who regularly use the shuttle bus have experienced connection errors and limited access to the service.
Maxine Gamez, an interdisciplinary science sophomore, said she rides the shuttle bus Monday through Thursday and has tried to connect to the Wi-Fi on the shuttle buses at least three times without success.
“I don’t think I’ve even been able to connect at all,” Gamez said. “I’ve just used my internet from my phone.”
She said having reliable Wi-Fi on the shuttle buses would allow her to complete her assignments and school work without having to depend on her phone’s data and battery.
Despite students having trouble with connecting, Contreras said the Transportation Department has not received any complaints about the service.
She explained students must enable Wi-Fi on their devices, select the Vaquero Express network and enter their school email address for verification to gain access to the service.
Diego Vita/THE RIDER
Jonathan Lopez, a civil engineer senior, said he learned about the shuttle buses having Wi-Fi about two weeks ago. He successfully connected to the Wi-Fi on his first attempt connecting, but has received an error message when he has tried to connect again.
“If the Wi-Fi is not working and I need to do my assignments quickly, I will use my hotspot,” Lopez said.
He added otherwise he would complete his assignments when he reaches class or at the library.
David Hernandez, a civil engineering junior, said he has also encountered error messages when trying to connect to the service on the shuttle bus and relies on his cellular data if he needs access to Wi-Fi.
Contreras said customer service assistants use a checklist to verify the Wi-Fi is functioning properly and, if students are experiencing problems, they can report them to transportation@utrgv.edu, so the department is able to investigate and fix the issues.
She emphasized providing internet access allows students to use their commute to check emails, review course materials and keep up with responsibilities.
“Our goal is to transform the daily commute into a more productive and connected experience,” Contreras said. “Every improvement we make in our transportation is an investment in our student success.”
She added the department will continue monitoring the service and working to improve connectivity for students.
About The Author
