Souris Basin Transportation driver Herb Gotter sits behind the wheel of the bus, with his wife, Dorothy, in the passenger seat, during a trip to Minot March 9. The bus brings passengers from Bottineau to Minot for shopping, medical visits and other appointments on Thursdays.

Souris Basin Transportation driver Herb Gotter was keeping tabs on several passengers in making multiple drop-offs and pick-ups around Minot on a recent Thursday.

Gotter, who brings Souris Basin’s passengers from Bottineau once a week, ensured his eight riders arrived on time to medical and other appointments, making for a busy day of navigating Minot’s streets.

“I’ve always kind of enjoyed driving,” said Gotter, 75, who also has driven a van to Minot for the Good Samaritan Center in Bottineau for about 13 years. In addition, he drives van for St. Andrew’s Hospital and transports veterans to Minot’s Veterans Administration office. He joined Souris Basin nearly a year ago, transporting passengers around Bottineau on Fridays as well to Minot on Thursdays.

“I’m not home a lot,” Gotter said as he drove Minot’s side streets with his wife, Dorothy, at his side.

“She comes with me on Thursdays so she can see me one day,” he laughed. “She gets the good seat – up front.”

“It’s kind of fun,” Dorothy Gotter said. “You just talk to people and laugh and have a good time.”

Souris Basin Transportation began bussing rural residents into Minot when Thursdays were established years ago as Minot’s senior day, said Souris Basin Executive Director Darrell Francis. He said there would be five or six buses in town, and medical offices would have Thursdays dedicated to appointments for those Minot visitors. Although that “senior day” isn’t what it once was, the Thursday bus service for the rural areas continues.

In its early days, Souris Basin Transportation operated as a system for the elderly and people with disabilities. In 2005, federal guidelines changed, requiring federally funded transportation systems to operate for the general public. Most riders still are seniors and people with disabilities and include veterans, who ride free.

Souris Basin added a route between Minot and Bismarck about five years ago after regular bus service between the cities ended. Francis said the that route serves more of the general population. Many of the trips are made for medical appointments, but people also travel to visit family or to connect to Jefferson Bus Line in Bismarck or Amtrak in Minot, he said.

Souris Basin provides an option for people who don’t like winter driving or driving in a larger, less familiar city. That can be especially helpful for rural seniors.

Reboarding Gotter’s bus after her appointment at Town & Country Center, Jeanne Smith of Bottineau said she saves money by skipping the driving herself. Instead, she can sit back and enjoy the bus ride, knowing she has a good driver, she said. Smith, who had an afternoon stop planned at Dakota Square Mall, said she takes the bus to Minot occasionally to shop.

Bottineau friends Diane Myhr, Bonnie Kraus and Gladys Vandal often ride the bus when they make a trip every three to four weeks to Minot to have their nails done at their favorite salon.

“And then we do lunch. We need to do some shopping. They’ll take us wherever,” Myhr said.

The bus transported the three friends and Smith to a south Minot restaurant, where they disembarked for lunch. Gotter, meanwhile, ventured off to one of his next stops. By mid-afternoon, the bus was headed back to Bottineau after making its usual final stop at Dakota Square’s food court to collect its passengers.

Although serving rural riders is a key part of Souris Basin’s mission, ridership within Minot accounts for 67% of the agency’s business. Buses and vans run Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Francis estimated Souris Basin provides about 300 rides a day within Minot. The organization contracts with the City of Minot to provide paratransit service. All of its 18 vans and 12 buses are equipped for wheelchairs. The buses can accommodate the larger wheelchairs.

“We have a lot of people who use it just to go to work,” Francis said of the transportation service. However, medical appointments are the top reason for travel into Minot and within the city, he said.

Francis said bus ridership fell about 75% when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Since then, however, the agency has gained back those riders and more.

“We can’t book more than seven days in advance. But we generally fill up six days in advance,” he said. That can make scheduling difficult, which is why Souris Basin is looking for ways to expand services.

“We have the buses, the vehicles, the vans, but we don’t have the drivers. And that’s our biggest biggest concern,” Francis said. Souris Basin has 32 drivers and five other staff members, with 60% of employees full-time.

“We’re going to try to extend our hours. If and when we find more drivers, we are going to add some more routes,” Francis said. “We want to do that because demand is so great. It’s really just unbelievable. We can’t keep up.”

Souris Basin also is looking at running twice a day between Minot and Bismarck on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to create an additional connection time with Jefferson Lines, he said.

Francis said Souris Basin provides seniors and disabled residents with not only personal assistance from door to destination but social opportunities that can be limited for those who frequently are homebound. The organization’s drivers understand and live that mission, he said.

“For us, it’s customer service. They come first, and we try to accommodate them,” he said.