This service is powered by Via. Via has a strict Zero Tolerance policy. Driver partners are prohibited from driving on the Via Platform while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and riders are prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs inside the vehicle. We do not tolerate inappropriate, threatening or violent behavior by anyone using the Via Platform or towards any riders or driver partners. If you are a rider and observe or believe any of the following, please ask the driver to terminate the trip immediately: your driver may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your driver is behaving in a manner that you consider inappropriate or that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or your driver engages in conduct which could be considered unlawful or illegal.

If you feel that you are in imminent danger, please contact the police directly by calling 911. After the ride has concluded, please provide feedback/report the issue using the app, email us at the support email address or call us at the Live Support number listed above.

Via does not tolerate discrimination of any kind against our riders or driver partners. This includes discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religious belief or affiliation, gender, sex, sexual identity or orientation, age, veteran status, physical, mental or other disability (actual or perceived), rider’s points of departure and destination, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. Additionally, Via does not tolerate discrimination of any kind against service animals. Riders or driver partners found to have violated Via’s anti-discrimination policy will lose access to the Via Platform. If you believe that you have been subject to discrimination by a rider or driver partner, please provide feedback in the review function of the app or email us at the support email listed above.

Smoking of any kind by riders and drivers is prohibited, including e-cigarettes, vaporizers, or smokeless cigarettes.

We know that you are on the go, but please help us keep our vehicles clean and fresh and avoid bringing food and drink in our cars, when possible. Please also be mindful that smelly food can be distracting and unpleasant for your fellow passengers.

Any beverages carried on board must be in a covered container (fast food restaurant cups and disposable coffee cups are not allowed). Drinking alcohol or carrying open containers of alcohol in our vehicles is not allowed.

Please remember your fellow passengers might not be interested in your phone conversations. We ask that you limit phone calls to quick logistics and emergencies during shared rides.

Our service vehicles are a shared space, and as such we ask everyone to limit any personal items to a single piece of luggage or a reasonably-sized bag. 

SAM Transit does not provide car seats to passengers.  We recommend that parents or guardians with children weighing less than 80 pounds bring their own carseat or booster seat.

South Dakota law states that "Children under 5 years old and under 40 pounds must be in an approved child safety seat in all seating positions."

Driver partners may decline to provide transportation services to a parent or guardian if they do not bring a required carseat.

Riders must be 13 years of age or older. Children under the age of 10 can ride when accompanied by a parent or guardian. We will not supply car seats, but riders traveling with children who require them may bring their own. Riders are responsible for securing any such car seat and for ensuring that it fits all legal requirements.

A No Show ultimately results in a wasted trip. This is both very expensive and may take away a trip that could have been scheduled for someone else.

To emphasize the importance of avoiding no-shows, Via Sioux Area Metro (SAM) has the following No-Show Policy. 

No Show Definitions.  The following instances will are considered a No Show:

1. The ride is canceled at the door after the driver has arrived.
2. The rider is not present after the vehicle has waited five minutes, and the driver departs the pickup location.
3. The rider is not present after the vehicle has waited five minutes, but before the driver departs, the rider arrives to take the ride.

No Shows Lead to Suspensions.  If enough No Shows are accumulated within a given time period, the rider could be suspended from using the On Demand Service:

*Note: Suspension times increase each time that the customer exceeds the No-Show policy. All No Shows stay on a rider’s record for 90 days and can accumulate towards more than one suspension.  Example: rider No Shows 3 times in one week, is suspended for one week, then no shows 3 more times the following week: this will result in a two week suspension, etc.

An On Demand Service suspension means the rider will have the service deactivated in their SAM Transit account and will be unable to book On Demand Rides through the app, online, or over the phone.  Sioux Area Metro reserves the right to suspend any/all accounts associated with the suspended rider.

Notification of Suspension.  SAM Transit App users will be notified via text message on the start date of their suspension.  Non-app users will be notified when calling in to book rides.  Suspension start date is at the discretion of Sioux Area Metro.

Contesting Suspensions.  If a rider feels a no-show was Sioux Area Metro’s error, the rider should call 605-460-6256 immediately.  The CIC representative will research Sioux Area Metro’s records for accuracy.   If a rider feels the no-show was outside of their control, the rider should call 605-460-6256 and explain to the CIC representative what prevented them from taking the scheduled ride.

A rider may carry on as many bags of groceries as they can carry in one trip.  Grocery carts are not permitted in SAM On Demand vehicles, though they are permitted on the bus.