MATBUS, the public transport system funded by state appropriations, offers students and faculty members, is a free way to commute and escape winter environments.

MATBUS runs through NDSU campus, various Fargo communities and other tri-college institutions, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, Concordia State and the North Dakota State College of Science-Fargo.

Those who wish to ride MATBUS must swipe their NDSU or Bison card in the on-board fare box to ride for free.

Stephanie Soriano, a freshman majoring in business, said, “It definitely makes it easier to get around town or campus.”

Soriano said the bus times are almost always running three minutes early.

David Kiefer, NDSU student majoring in agriculture economics, said he lives off campus, but he walks to Memorial Union to use the bus system for a ride to Barry Hall every week. 

Kiefer said MATBUS is very accessible, because he doesn’t have a mess with downtown parking or worry about getting a parking ticket. 

 Thomas Cain, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, finds fault with the MATBUS routes. 

“There are some places in which a loop will take way too long to get to a vital place like Wal-mart,” Cain said.

Cain said his friends complain about this inefficiency.

The MATBUS system has a MATBUS app for smart phones to enable live viewing, which displays current routes.

MATBUS’ website said students should wave at the driver so he or she knows the student wishes to board.

MATBUS has a evening service that runs Monday through Saturday but does not have a day system for weekends.

Shamsa Adow, a freshman studying agriculture, said NDSU students living on campus have the disadvantage and will have to find a ride elsewhere.

“I ride the bus twice a week but I really wish the bus system ran during the weekends, so I could travel off campus to places I want to go,” Adow said.

MATBUS’ website said the service carries one million riders each year.