Despite initial complications with the College regarding the company's name, the new Upper Valley Ride to the Airport now transports passengers between the Upper Valley and Manchester Airport, according to Randy Heller, the founder of the shuttle service.
The new shuttle service which operates with one Black Ford Explorer SUV began eight weeks ago "to address a need" in the community for improved transportation to the Upper Valley's nearest airport, Heller said. The service picks up passengers at five locations, including the Hanover Inn, the Norwich Inn, the Courtyard Marriott in Lebanon, Grantham Park and Ride and New London Park and Ride.
"I have lived in the Upper Valley for nine years now, and there has never been a good way to get to Manchester without driving yourself," he said.
The new Dartmouth-Manchester Airport Shuttle costs $49 for students, faculty and senior citizens and $59 for regular tickets.
Heller, who initially called his service the Dartmouth-Airport Shuttle, encountered legal difficulties with the College regarding the name, he said.
Bob Donin, the College's general counsel, contacted Heller after a week of the shuttle's operation , according to Heller. The College did not want the public to assume that the College was "in the business" of shuttling people to and from the airport, Heller said.
"Basically, counsel said that if my shuttle, God forbid, was involved in an accident, the College did not want to responsible in any way," Heller said. "It made perfect sense."
Donin said Heller did not object after the College notified him regarding its complaint.
"If colleges don't protect the use of their names, the public could be misled into believing that a particular business or activity is associated with the institution," Donin said. "The shuttle company did not contest the College's cease and desist letter instead, it adopted a different name."
Heller experimented with several names, including Upper Valley-Manchester Airport Shuttle and Dartmouth Area-Manchester Airport Shuttle, before settling on Upper Valley Ride to the Airport.
Reprinting business cards was the only cost associated with the business' name change, Heller said.
Gerben Scherpbier '14 said he has taken Heller's new shuttle to the Manchester Airport because it is a "cheap and reliable" alternative.
Several students interviewed by The Dartmouth expressed frustration with the transportation options to Manchester Airport that were previously offered.
Abigail Cohen '14, who took the Greyhound bus to the airport after Winter term ended, said that the bus was unreliable and was approximately two hours late.
"As a result, time was extremely tight at the airport," she said. "Everything ended up working out I made my flight but it was extremely frustrating."
Scherpbier said he wished the Dartmouth Coach, which currently transports students and other passengers to New York City and Boston, offered service to Manchester, since the Coach is less expensive than the new shuttle.
A ticket on the Dartmouth Coach to Boston's Logan Airport costs $38 even though the trip is a farther distance from Hanover than Manchester, according to its website.
Heller said he has received very positive feedback, and that several Dartmouth students have taken advantage of this service.
"Each week, i am getting more and more calls," Heller said. "The business is growing."
Heller declined to reveal how many customers have used the shuttle since its inception.
Several students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they were unaware of the new shuttle service. Upon learning of its existence, many said they are unlikely to take advantage of it in the future.
Shing-Shing Chan '13 said he still plans to travel through Boston's Logan Airport since it offers more flights than Manchester Airport.
The shuttle also offers service to Boston's Logan Airport, as well as a private airport car service, according to its website.
The Dartmouth Coach ran its own shuttle to Manchester approximately 10 years ago, according to Harry Blunt, president of the Dartmouth Coach.
The company experienced "very limited success" with its Manchester route, Blunt said.
"There are an awful lot of Dartmouth who fly internationally and transcontinentally now and Manchester does not meet that demand," he said.
The College never asked the Dartmouth Coach to change its name, according to Blunt.
"The College has gotten a lot more aggressive in pursuing copyright problems as of late," he said.
Donin said some institutions, such as the Dartmouth Coach, "predate by many years" then time when colleges became concerned with protecting their trademarks.
"We consider those activities on a case-by-case basis," he said.
