N.C. State transportation has had a contract with Veolia, a French contractor, for the past seven years — a five-year contract with a two-year extension. Now that the contract with the University is up, Veolia has moved to the Capital Transit Authority.

According to Slade McCalip, assistant director of planning and operations for NCSU Transportation, Veolia began contracting with CAT after its contract was up with Transportation — a move that is common among transit contractors.

“They work for CAT, so they just stuck ‘CAT’ on our old buses,” McCalip said.

McCalip said the old Wolfline buses were just converted school buses called “Bluebirds.”

However, complaints have come in to Transportation about the old Wolfline buses running routes near campus, instead of routes in north Raleigh.

Liz Ingram, junior in English education, said she has not had a problem with the old buses around campus because she doesn’t understand the Wolfline anyway.

But, she said she understood how it might bother other students.

“It’s probably confusing for students,” Ingram said.

David Eatman, director of Capital Transit Authority, told McCalip Friday that the old Wolfline buses were not used on routes around campus.

As they spoke, a Wolfline-turned-CAT bus passed them on Pullen Road.

As for the new Wolfline buses, McCalip said, they are superior to the old buses.

“We wanted heavy-duty, urban transit vehicles,” McCalip said. “The new buses have a much more robust engine, meet all the EPA requirements and are Altuna-tested [for durability and longevity].”

Ingram said she enjoys the comfort of the new buses and the friendlier bus drivers.

“I think [the buses] are comfortable,” Ingram said. “The bus drivers seem friendlier. The couple of bus drivers I have had are entertaining.”

David Gottlieb, senior in business management, said he likes the new buses but does not find them roomier.

“I haven’t noticed them being much bigger, even though they said they are bigger,” he said.

Gottlieb suggests a load-balancing system for the overcrowding problems that persist with the new Wolflines.

Transportation could consult course schedules for the number of students registered in class at each time slot on a given day and put an appropriate number of buses out based on those statistics, he said.

McCalip said, another difference in the new buses are the improved air-conditioning systems.

Ingram noticed the difference.

“It’s always cold on the bus … but considering you’re on the bus for like 15 minutes, it’s not a big deal,” Ingram said.

McCalip said the contract for the new buses will last five years with options for a five-year extension and two extra two-year extensions.