Jill Schramm/MDN Darrell Francis, executive director at Souris Basin Transportation, sits behind the wheel of a 14-passenger bus. The agency has had to roll out the fleet’s largest buses to accommodate the demand for a new bus interconnection service to Bismarck.

The traveling public has embraced a bus partnership set up last month to connect Minot with an international, intercity bus network.

In mid-November, Jefferson Lines announced a partnership with the nonprofit Souris Basin Transportation in Minot to provide service between Minot and its Bismarck depot, and response has been strong almost out of the chute. They didn’t expect much for Jefferson ridership for the first several weeks, but demand accelerated after the first five days of the service’s launch, said Darrell Francis, executive director for Souris Basin.

Francis said Christmas brought a noticeable hike in traffic. Souris Basin’s largest vehicle, a 14-passenger bus, usually makes the Bismarck trip only a few times a year, but it has been put into service that many times just during this Christmas season, he said.

Souris Basin continues to operate the on-demand transportation service to Bismarck that existed before the partnership with Jefferson Lines. The on-demand service operates in conjunction with the Jefferson Lines interconnect service, with pick-up and drop-off stops in communities between Minot and Bismarck.

Although the interconnect service has been popular, Francis noted there have been a few hiccups. One of the corrective steps will be to add bus decals and bus-stop signage and increase public awareness so passengers understand they should look for a Souris Basin vehicle rather than a Jefferson Lines bus at the pick-up points.

Misunderstandings in that regard have led to people missing the bus. Souris Basin has gone out of its way to ensure stranded passengers ultimately do get to Bismarck or back, Francis said.

Souris Basin runs two routes, picking up Jefferson Lines passengers at the Walmart’s Market entrance Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the trip to the Jefferson Lines depot in Bismarck. Souris Basin also provides return trips to Walmart.

Francis said the challenge has been estimating the number of Jefferson Lines riders who book through the bus line. Souris Basin can provide a five-person minivan, a nine-person van or a 14-passenger bus, but without information on the number of riders, it is difficult to know which vehicle to send.

Jefferson Lines passengers who book trips to or from Minot through the bus line are advised to notify Souris Basin to potentially avoid a situation in which there’s no room on the bus for them.

An even better solution for both Souris Basin and riders looking to save money is to book the Minot-to-Bismarck or Bismarck-to-Minot portion of their trips directly with Souris Basin, Francis said. Currently, there is no online option for ordering tickets with Souris Basin, so people would need to call.

“You buy the ticket from us, we’ll pick you up at your home,” Francis said. “We will take you right to your door, help you with your bags. … We make it more personalized but we also know how many people are riding.”

A one-way ticket is $35 and roundtrip is $55 through Souris Basin.

Francis said an added advantage of booking directly with Souris Basin is the ability to schedule trips to allow for pick-up and drop-off at other Bismarck locations while in town.

Francis said there are various items being looked at for improving the service between the two transportation partners. However, he sees the minor bugs as growing pains, and he considers growth to be a good thing.

“Right now, it’s working well, but there’s a few little glitches we’re trying to fix,” he said. “If we fine-tune it, it’s going to be great.

“My goal is to fix the system so it works better, but eventually make our system work five days a week for them in the future because, that way, more people can depend on it,” he said.