GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – The purple buses that drive around town are valuable to East Carolina students who live off campus, offering them a reliable way to get to class in as little as ten minutes. However, Carolina Creek, an apartment complex off of Arlington Blvd., has cut ties with ECU’s bus service, leaving students without transportation right at the start of the semester.

“Some of the people who live here are living here because of the convenience of the buses because it is student living,” said Carolina Creek resident and ECU senior Kennedy Winfrey. “We’re here because we’re students, and we’re trying to commute to school. So, people don’t have a car, people have to walk, people have to bike, people have to drive.”

Carolina Creek’s management team emailed residents Sunday that their partnership with ECU Transit would end Friday, revealing that the complex could no longer afford the rising costs of ECU’s transportation system.

However, ECU said the costs of these services were lower this semester than the previous semester. Students who rely on the bus service say this decision will cost them.

“It’s just very inconvenient, one to the students because they’re not doing the complex dirty,” said resident and ECU student London Gwyn. “They’re doing the students dirty, as students with no transportation, as students who would just rather not pay for a $200.00 parking pass. It’s just very inconvenient in general.”

Route 506 to and from Carolina Creek will continue until Friday. Carolina Creek’s management did not want to speak about their decision to stop the routes as well as their announcement coming out the day before classes began.

ECU’s Safe Ride van services to Carolina Creek will also be halted on Monday. ECU says they’ve contacted management about other low-cost transportation options for students. Officials also confirmed that no other complexes have stopped bus services this semester.