PIERRE, S.D. The Federal Transit Administration has sided with the operators of a small bus company here who have been in a long-running feud with the communitys public transit agency over charter service.

But the ruling by Acting Chief Counsel Scott A. Biehl isnt expected to settle much of their differences.

Instead, its likely to heat things up because the transit agency plans to appeal the decision and the bus company is firing back with more complaints.

Biehl, acting on a complaint filed by Forell Limousine and Bus Service, found that River Cities Public Transit violated the federal charter service rule when it provided transportation for a bachelor party last year.

However, because he considered the circumstances of the violation minor and the revenue generated by the trip was $105, he fined River Cities just $100.

"Even though the monetary penalty was only $100, it makes a statement," said Dawnita Forell, who co-owns the bus company with her husband, Charles. "And, hopefully, they will add another zero the next time."

And there will be a next time, too, she vows, adding that she has already put together four more complaints and plans to file them soon. One of them, she said is a "slam dunk."

Meantime, River Cities will appeal the decision to the FTA administrator in hopes of getting it reversed, according to Ron Baumgart, executive director.

"I disagree with the ruling," he stressed. "We are an on-demand service and thats what we do every day for the people in our community."

Biehl, in his ruling, held that the bachelor party trip to a hunting lodge was a charter because the fare for all of the riders was paid by a single individual. He said had each passenger made their own arrangements with the transit agency and paid as they boarded the bus, it might not have been a violation of the charter rule.

The conflict between the Forrells and the transit agency managed by Baumgart stretches back about five years and involves numerous complaints.

Forell filed 11 formal complaints against River Cities during that period, including nine under the old charter rule and two under the new rule that took effect a year ago. The company was successful on three of the nine older complaints and split the two newer ones.

"Its pretty hard to get a decision from the FTA," Forell said, adding that her company does not have the resources to continually investigate possible violations by River Cites that it hears about. "They seem to do whatever they want and a lot of people dont want to get involved."

However, she said if she can win a few more and the fines grow, then people might start paying attention.