Overcrowding on Monash University's shuttle bus between Caulfield and Clayton campuses has become the focus of recent complaints on student Facebook group Stalkerspace.

Among the complaints, students say they have seen the bus filled to capacity, with some forced to stand for their entire journey. Others say they have been denied entry at the time they need it, due to overcrowding or capacity limits.

Monash student Bridget Myerscough says she was “so frustrated with the bus service” that she contacted Monash Connect, then wrote a post about it on Stalkerspace.

“The two times I have caught it [the shuttle] at peak times, they have filled up all the seats, then the bus driver has had to stand up the front and herd people on until the entire aisle and front of the bus is full,” Ms Myerscough said.

“We were packed in there like sardines, pressed up against everybody,” she said.

“I can't imagine if anybody had any sort of disability or … anxiety or fear of COVID and had to catch that bus to make it to class on time.”

The shuttle bus, which Monash offers free to its students, has been running between Caulfield and Clayton every 30 minutes - a reduced schedule compared to previous years, when it ran every 20 minutes.

This comes as an increasing number of domestic and international students are returning to campus for face-to-face teaching in 2023.

Ms Myerscough said she has been using the inter-campus shuttle since 2021 and "never seen anything like it". “You have more demand than ever, why have you cut down bus times?”

Monash Buildings and Property Division representative Steph Cooke says the majority of bus services are carrying less-than-maximum capacity.

“We are encouraging the use of alternative public transport services where available. These services operate at a higher frequency than the shuttle bus," Ms Cooke said. "We are also providing extra services on the Peninsula service where there are no public transport alternatives."

She said a $10 Myki card is available to students who miss the bus due to the service being over maximum capacity and cannot wait for the next bus.

Students can request this card from the Monash Buildings and Property Division.

Cooke recommends that students travelling from Clayton to Caulfield take the 900 bus towards Caulfield, or take the 601 bus to Huntingdale station and connect to a train to Caulfield.

Students travelling from Caulfield to Clayton can take the 900 bus towards Rowville, or a train to Huntingdale station then the 601 bus to Clayton Campus.

Ms Myerscough said she was unhappy with the response to the complaint she lodged with the Monash Building and Property Division.

“Their response was: we are sorry you felt uncomfortable, here are some public transport options," she said. But public transport options cost money and take more time than the intercampus shuttle.

"I am not going to catch public transport, which I have to pay for. Just fix your schedule. This obviously isn't working,” she said. “We just need more buses or the old, more frequent schedule.”

Monash Student Association (MSA) president Sebastian Schultz says the MSA is working on changes to the intercampus shuttle bus timetable.

“Multiple meetings have taken place, and there is a trial in place this week in which bus marshals will be assisting students and monitoring numbers,” Mr Schultz said.

“Next week when I meet with the Vice Chancellor, I will be discussing responses from students, staff and the bus marshalls.”

Students say they have seen bus marshalls this week counting the number of people using the service.