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Special Event T Bus Charter Service

NEW: T Buses are NOT available during the 2023-24 academic year for charters. All buses are dedicated to campus transit.
Any questions contact our transportation office at transit@utk.edu

Buses are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and service is subject to the following limitations:

Special Event T Bus Service Guidelines

  1. The service must have a purpose related to the University of Tennessee. All requests must be approved by the appropriate UT Dean, Director or Department Head before submission.
  2. All Available buses are fully accessible and have space to accommodate two mobility devices including:
    • 26-foot vans/minibusses with seating capacities for 16 passengers
    • Standard transit-style buses with seating capacities for 29, 35, or 37 passengers.
      Specific vehicle requests will be fulfilled as vehicle availability permits based on each request.
  3. Service must remain within Knox County, Tennessee, with any exceptions approved in advance by the UT Director of Parking and Transit Services. Buses are not permitted to remain at a destination overnight.
  4. All requests made by University of Tennessee representatives must provide complete contact information including an account number for billing.
  5. Each trip needs a specific request due to the vendor billing by trip.
    • If a group has two simultaneous trips, one to ORNL and one to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Each trip needs a separate request because the vendor will bill us by the trip, not by the day.
    • If the two trips are consecutive, using the same vehicles you will only need to fill out one request.
  6. For requests made by those external to the University of Tennessee, there must be a UT representative to serve as the sponsor of each special event service request. These types of requests must be approved by the appropriate UT Dean, Director, or Department Head before submission. Complete contact information for both the UT sponsor and the external organization must be provided.
  7. No open containers of food or beverages are allowed on the buses. Alcoholic beverages and smoking are strictly prohibited on the T buses. Unlawful or inappropriate activities associated with the special event bus service may result in immediate termination of the service.
  8. A completed “Special Event Bus Service Request” must be submitted to the UT Parking and Transit Services Office at least fourteen (14) working days prior to the desired departure date.
  9. Special Event Bus Service Rates and Charges:
    • The special event bus service rate for June 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024:
      • UT departments/divisions are $121.03 per hour per bus
      • External entities external is $131.00 per hour per bus
        Rates are subject to change
      • 7.5% Service Fee for all special event bus service
    • Additional special event bus service charges include:
      • Reasonable pre-trip preparation time, generally one-half hour prior to the scheduled loading time for pick-up points.
      • The total time the bus is in use by the group including layover time at the destination point.
      • Reasonable post-trip time to return the bus to the transit facility and for bus cleaning, generally one-half hour after the last passenger drop-off.
      • Other bus driver expenses incurred as a result of the service such as parking fees.
    • Charges will be made to the responsible party for buses returned in excessively dirty condition for additional cleaning at the current hourly rate.
    • Upon completion of the trip, the driver will request that the group leader verify his or her release time with a signature on the appropriate form.
  10. A minimum charge of two hours will be applied to all services of short duration.
  11. Event service may be canceled or modified during normal office hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday excluding university holidays) up to seven (7) workdays before the departure of the bus to avoid charges. A charge of $100.00 may be assessed for a service that is canceled or modified late. All requests to cancel or modify service must be made in writing to the UT Parking and Transit Office at parking@utk.edu.