Campus Bus Service offers Special Service bus rentals for IU departments and registered student groups. Schools and departments conducting recruiting activities pay the fee listed below. Current student groups may inquire about a student rate. Please review the guidelines below before submitting a request.
Special Service
Guidelines
Please review the guidelines and procedures required to rent a Special Service vehicle from IU Campus Bus Service.
- Special Service bus rentals are intended for use on the IU Bloomington campus and the immediate vicinity, e.g., downtown Bloomington.
- Special Service can be provided when the requested route does not interfere with regularly scheduled routes and service.
- Special Service bus rentals are available to IU departments and student organizations only. Financial approval for a Special Service vehicle must come from the department or group making the request.
- The current rate for special services is $400 per hour, per bus. This rate includes the bus, bus operator, and service setup fees. A 50% price reduction is available to departments whose request supports current admitted students who pay the student transportation fee.
- Special Service vehicles must be rented for a minimum of four sequential hours to match driver schedules. For example, a request for a bus from 8 to 10 a.m. and then from 3 to 5 p.m. on the same day will be billed as two 4-hour minimum periods.
- Special Service requests must be submitted at least 14 business days before requested date to allow sufficient time to schedule drivers and buses.
- For passenger and traffic safety, IU Campus Bus Service must approve requests for routes, schedules, and stops. IU buses operate in compliance with federal, state, and municipal laws and align with Indiana University safety regulations.
- During the academic year when classes are in session, an additional $50 per hour charge will apply to Special Service requests for days and times outside supervisor hours. Supervisor hours are M–F from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 8 p.m. during the academic year during non-holiday times.
- If Special Service is canceled within 14 days of the requested date, 50% of the quoted service will be charged to cover the cost of the scheduled bus operator's wages. To cancel a scheduled booking, please email or call Brady Hargrove, Transportation Supervisor: hargrove@iu.edu and 812-856-1362 or email Director Justin VanLeeuwen: jrvanlee@iu.edu.
- Smoking, vaping, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on IU buses.
- Campus Bus must approve any route-change requests made less than 48 hours before schedule service.
- Special Service billable hours are calculated on the following basis: 30 minutes prior to the first pickup and 30 minutes after the last dropoff.
Effective November 1, 2025