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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

High gas prices upset public transportation, local business

Some services add charges to offset fuel costs

Public drivers aren't the only ones feeling the pain of high pump prices and scattered fuel shortages. Local businesses providing transportation and delivery services are feeling the crunch, too.\nWhile some local businesses are waiting out the rise in gas prices, many have had to increase their delivery charge or transportation fee to make up for the money their drivers spend filling up their tanks. \nIf customers are too busy to make a trip to a restaurant or just don't want to spend cash driving, they might be surprised this week to find their delivery bill a little bit higher than usual. \nJohn Paramon, an employee at both Jimmy John's and Mancino's Pizza & Grinders, said Jimmy John's has not done anything in terms of raising delivery price, but Mancino's is charging an extra $2.\nMaggie Moo's employee Kate Wratten said despite rising gas prices, she does not see a problem in Maggie Moo's delivery system. The ice-cream shop just started delivering to customers and doesn't charge any type of extra fee, she said. \nSean Duncan, owner of Jiffy Treet North, said he is contemplating whether or not to make changes in delivery charges for the future. \n"At the moment, we have not increased our 50-cent delivery charge," Duncan said. "There is a possibility that we may have to raise it an extra 50 cents, but we are trying to wait it out. It may be an issue as the year progresses, but it is too soon to tell. It is difficult to make that decision because no one knows whether or not the gas prices will continue to rise or go down."\nKilroy's Sports Bar and Dagwood's Deli-Sub Shop are maintaining their original minimum delivery charges. To receive a delivery from Kilroy's Sports Bar, the order must be at least $10, said bartender Paul Miller. Dagwood's minimum purchase for delivery is $5, said manager Adam Shukwit.\n"It is the drivers who complain all the time about the gas, but we haven't made any changes because of it," Shukwit said. \nHeavenly Ham is also contemplating how it plans to continue delivering to customers. Currently, deliveries are free if the customer orders six or more lunch boxes. But, as co-owner Phil Randall explains, the change in the oil market has had an effect on business.\n"It is a challenge now," he said. "We have not been able to make as much and a lot more people are asking us to deliver. We have not made any changes now, but it is a possibility if gas prices go up to $3.50 or $4. We're just taking it day by day." \nOutside food service, public transportation services are also dealing with necessary economic changes. Marcia Deckard of Bloomington Shuttle explained the shuttle service is trying to do everything it used to in order to keep the cost of rides to the Indianapolis airport down, but it recently had to increase the price of using the transit service.\n"It takes so much money to fill the buses up that we've had to raise our rates from $22 to $25," Deckard said. "The change went into effect Aug. 31. Besides that, we try not to let (the buses) idle as long as a way to hold back on gas."\nYellow Cab is another transportation service used by many students on campus. The manager was unable to be reached for comment due to the holiday weekend, but Yellow Cab employee Lawrence Holt said transportation prices will go up in the future. He said he's unsure of the exact price increase, but presently the charge is $6 per ride on campus.\nAs the future of gas prices remain a mystery, it's important customers know what they're paying for before leaving the driving up to others, or they might find themselves short on hard earned cash.

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