Rider Policy

U of I System and university employee travelers

•  Can ride for business travel;
•  Ride for non- business travel. Booking is available for non- business travel up to one week prior to the trip date.

Student travelers

      Students at universities in the system may use UI Ride for academic, university business, or research travel

• ​Students are only able to pay with a CFOAP that has been pre-approved by a department.
• Students are not permitted to bring a guest.

Guest travelers

     Employees can book one, accompanied, non- business guest per trip. Departments or employees may book multiple guests for business. Each guest will need to be booked individually.

• Can use UI Ride for approved business;
• Can use UI Ride for non- business use when booked as a guest of an and accompanied by the employee;

Traveling with minors

Anyone who is under the age of 14 and not a system university student or employee requires a parent or guardian to accompany them at all times. Buses come equipped with lap seat belts. You can use these with your own child seat, as long as it can be attached using a seatbelt, has been approved for use in a motor vehicle, and is used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s your responsibility to secure your child seat to the bus seat using your own child seat and seat belt provided.

Luggage Policy

• In addition to one personal item, each passenger may bring one carry-on piece of luggage. Dimensions should not exceed 18x14x12 inches.
• Prohibited items include items that are illegal, weapons, explosives, items containing hazardous or dangerous materials such as acids, ammunition, or highly flammable materials, and items or equipment that may constitute an obstruction to safe driving or hazard to pedestrians or other vehicles.
• No weapons of any kind will be permitted at any time unless by authorized law enforcement.
• UI Ride reserves the right to determine whether an item will be prohibited from being allowed on the shuttle.
• Please contact (217) 333-RIDE or via email at uiride@uillinois.edu as early as possible but no later than two hours prior to your ride if you have special cargo or animals other than service animals and we will try to accommodate.
• UI Ride is not responsible for lost, damaged, forgotten, or stolen items.

Refusal to Transport or Removal of Passenger

UI Ride has sole discretion to refuse to transport and/or remove any passenger for any reason including the following:

• Appearing to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs;
• Refusing to comply with smoking regulations;
• Interfering with any employee in the pursuit of their duties;
• Exhibiting behavior that may be hazardous to themselves, employees, or other passengers;
• Possession of an unauthorized or prohibited item including weapons or explosive devices;
• Posing a threat to the comfort and/or safety of other passengers or employees;
• Exhibiting conduct that is violent, disorderly, offensive, or abusive to other passengers and/or employees, including physical or verbal harassment related to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation;
• Violating any terms and/or conditions of use.

UI Ride reserves the right to refuse permanently to transport any passenger who has been repeatedly removed or denied transportation for violent, disorderly, offensive, or abusive conduct or other reasons.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions are subject to change. We make every effort to provide adequate notification to our clients of changes to fees, terms, and conditions. Communication can take the form of electronic notification, account messaging, or announcement postings. We access essential user data such as driver location, email, and mobile numbers, which are necessary for the core functionality of the app. 

Data Collection Overview

UI Ride collects specific information to operate and enhance its ride services, which may vary depending on your usage. Some data, such as your NetId, Email, Phone Number, is required to create an account, while optional features may require additional information. You will be notified when such data is needed, and if you choose not to provide it, those features may not be available. Permissions can be managed through your device's settings.

User-Provided Information

• Account Setup: To create a ride account, you must provide your mobile number, profile name, NetID, and Email. Without this information, you cannot use our services.
• Ride Notification Storage: We do not store ride notifications after they are delivered; they remain on your device. If a notification isn't delivered (e.g., if you’re offline), we keep it in encrypted form for up to 30 days. Media shared in notifications is temporarily stored in encrypted form to improve delivery.
• End-to-End Encryption: All ride-related notifications are end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that neither we nor third parties can access them.
• Payments and Transactions: When using our payment services for rides, we collect essential information such as payment details (CFOPAL, Credit Card), billing information, and transaction amounts. Our payment privacy practices are outlined in the relevant policy for your region.
• Customer Support: When reaching out for support, you may provide details such as your ride history, booking information, and contact details (like your email and mobile number) to help us resolve any issues.

Automatic Data Collection

• Activity and Log Data: We collect information about how you use our ride services, including service-related, diagnostic, and performance data. This includes details about your activity, preferences, interactions with others (such as bus operators or service providers), log files, and performance reports. We also track when you registered, your use of features like booking rides, payments, profile updates, and ride history.
• Device and Network Information: When you use our ride services, we collect device-specific information such as your hardware model, operating system, app version, battery level, IP address, and network details (e.g., phone number, carrier, language, and time zone).
• Location Data: With your permission, we collect precise location data when you use features related to your rides (e.g., tracking your bus location or sharing it with contacts). Even if you don't use these features, we estimate your general location using IP addresses and phone area codes for diagnostics and troubleshooting.
• Cookies: We use cookies to operate, enhance, and personalize our ride services. Cookies help us deliver web-based services, remember your preferences (such as language), display relevant content, and analyze service usage (e.g., popular Help Center articles).

Non-Discrimination Policy

The University of Illinois System is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity and diversity as outlined in the University of Illinois Non-Discrimination Statement.