A new, high-tech Harvard shuttle bus embarked on its maiden voyage yesterday.

Harvard bought the new shuttle to eliminate overcrowding, according to Peter Witt, general manager of University Shuttle and Fleet Management Services.

"We hope to be able to accommodate a greater crowd of students at Currier [House] and Johnston Gate," Witt said yesterday.

The newest member of the shuttle fleet boasts a more spacious interior, two sets of doors and two back heaters.

Some Quad residents said the addition will help accommodate the 10 a.m. rush of students trying to get to classes.

"It was the first 9:50 [a.m.] shuttle that had enough room," said Cabot House resident Roxanne Willis '97. "Usually there's a huge fight, and half the people get left behind."

The purchase of the shuttle marks the beginning of a replacement process under which a new bus will replace an old one every year for the next six years.

The bus that debuted yesterday will be the largest of the new cadre, Witt said.

According to Witt, the new shuttle will only cover the Currier-Johnston Gate route because its large size prevents it from negotiating narrower roads, such as Everett St. on the way to the Science Center.

The new bus has many other improved features, according to Richard "Richie" Aufiero, who has been a Harvard shuttle driver for the last six years. He said its air brakes and effective handling of bumps allow for a "beautiful air ride."

Witt said the new bus sports a "90s look," with white paint and a new logo.

Student passengers have reacted positively to the new shuttle.

On Friday morning, many Pforzheimer House students "left breakfast early just to be the first ones to ride it," Aufiero said.

Tu Komindr '98 of Pforzheimer House said the shuttle is a "big improvement" because its increased standing space eases the pressure on drivers to handle the crowds of students.

Noemi Flores '97 of Pforzheimer House, who is a Crimson editor, "used to walk" but said she is now "more inclined to ride."

Recent Changes

The Shuttle Bus and Evening Van Service (SBEVS) announced a number of changes to its operations last December in response to a series of complaints by students about poor service, including long delays while waiting for buses and erratic scheduling.

Among the changes to the escort service were the addition of a dialy log and the replacement of the service's voice mail system with a telephone system answered by a real person.

As well, dispatchers now check to make sure drivers' watches are synchronized, provide callers with an approximate time for their wait and call students back when the escort arrives for the pick-up.

SBEVS has also set up an e-mail account to which students can send messages commenting on the service.

The account's address is trnsvcs@mums.harvard.edu

Witt said in a Crimson article last December that the changes for the shuttle service had been in the works since he took over this fall.

In addition, he said a number of the changes came about as a result of a Crimson column written by Sarah J. Schaffer '97, who is editorial chair of The Crimson, on November 17.

The column criticized the shuttles' timing and warned that erratic shuttles cause students to take risks late at night.

Sarah E. Flatley, assistant dean of students, said in December that student safety was not as major a motivation for the changes as a general desire to improve the shuttle program.

SBEVS was created this fall when the Escort Service, formerly run by the Harvard University Police Department, was merged with the shuttle services.

Last spring the shuttle service polled students on changes that should be made to the program, and schedules were altered accordingly, Witt wrote in a letter summarizing the changes.

Changes being considered for the future include hiring more drivers and putting more phones by shuttle stops.