Bus & Motorcoach News
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October 1, 2007 WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE BUS INDUSTRY Top lawyer leaves FTA; industry concerned about impact on rewrite of rules WASHINGTON — The depar- U.S. Department of Transportation ture from the Federal Transit could have a negative impact on Administration of Chief Counsel the overhauling of the rules, which David Horner apparently will have is winding down and is due to be no notable affect on the agency’s finished in December. drafting of new charter bus rules, Horner played a key role in a easing the concerns of some in the lengthy series of FTA-run negotia- motorcoach industry who worried tion sessions held last year the move could spell trouble. between private charter operators New federal guidelines give coach operators flexibility in presenting safety briefings. FTA officials, who asked not and public transit agencies, and to be identified, said the same had been the lead attorney in the team of staff attorneys that has rewriting of the charter rules. worked on the charter rules since Some private operators viewed Passenger briefings now called for the beginning of the project Horner as being understanding of WASHINGTON — Four years operators in the U.S. to develop operators to conduct passenger remains on the job and there is no their long-time complaints that ago, the motorcoach industry told their own passenger safety brief- safety briefings has been a slow cause for the private operators to public transit agencies often the Federal Motor Carrier Ad- ings that fit within the guidelines. burning issue for nearly a decade. worry. ignore the existing charter rules, ministration that it would be a bad It shouldn’t be difficult given Following a 1997 bus crash in “The same lawyers are doing and they have been hopeful the idea to issue rigorous regulations the guidelines are broadly drawn Stony Creek Va., the National the same heavy lifting they have new rules will better protect them. requiring safety briefings for pas- and make allowance for the diverse Safety Transportation Board asked been doing and nothing really has The first version of the pro- sengers on private motorcoaches. nature of bus operations provided the FMCSA to begin requiring changed,” emphasized one offi- posed rules that was issued in Instead, the industry asked the across the U.S. pre-trip safety information for cial. February won praise from many feds to issue guidelines for such The FMCSA made its guide- motorcoach passengers. Motorcoach operators had motorcoach operators who saw safety briefings and leave it up to lines, which it calls “a basic plan The NTSB said that in the raised concerns that the promotion them as putting a tighter and individual operators to decide what for motorcoach companies to Stony Creek accident and other in August of the former chief enforceable clamp on public tran- form and format to use to present implement a safety-awareness pro- crashes it had investigated, pas- counsel to the policy office of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 þ the information to passengers. gram for passengers,” official last sengers described a sense of panic Well, the industry has gotten month by publishing them in the because they did not know what to exactly what it asked for and now Federal Register. do or how to get out of a smashed Buses to get free ride it’s up to the 3,500 motorcoach The idea of requiring coach CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 þ on Beltway toll lanes RICHMOND, Va. — Buses The public-private highway Operator ‘green award’ announced and motorcoaches, both privately project, which has been in the SAN FRANCISCO — A high- Expo will be Jan. 16-20 in San recycling programs, carbon offset and publicly owned, will pay no planning for more than a dozen profile industry award has been Francisco. programs, community green initia- tolls on new express toll lanes years, will cost roughly $1.7 bil- developed to recognize a motor- “The expanded use of motor- tives, and campaigns that promote being added to the Capital Belt- lion — nearly double the projected coach operator that demonstrates coaches in group transportation motorcoaches as an eco-friendly way in northern Virginia. cost two years ago — and will be “environmental stewardship” can help reduce overall carbon means of transportation. Construction of the express completed in 2013, the Virginia through corporate initiative, com- emissions and lessen our depend- The winner will be selected by lanes, whose toll rate for cars and Department of Transportation esti- munity involvement, or industry ence on fossil fuel,” said Patricia a jury of environmental and coach trucks will be based on the level of mates. leadership. Ziska, MCI vice president and industry leaders. Ziska will be one congestion at the time the vehicles VDOT Commissioner David The “Green Highway Award” chief customer officer. “We want of the judges. enter the special lanes, will begin S. Ekern said the agency has has been created by Motor Coach to encourage operators to take a The award is open to coach in the spring. reached an agreement in principle Industries, in conjunction with the leading role in promoting the operators that are members of A spokeswoman for the project with two private contractors, United Motorcoach Association. green benefits, as well as the trans- UMA. told Bus & Motorcoach News that Transurban DRIVe and Fluor En- It will be presented for the first portation convenience and other “We’re encouraging all our buses, as well as passenger vehi- terprises, for design, construction, time in January at UMA attributes, of our industry.” members — operators, associates cles carrying three or more people, operation and maintenance of the Motorcoach Expo 2008, during the Examples of award-worthy and travel partners — to submit will pay no tolls to use the express high-occupancy-toll lanes, com- annual Vision Awards banquet. activities might include internal CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 þ lanes. 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MIDWEST NORTHEAST SOUTHEAST SOUTHWEST WESTERN 800-222-2875 800-222-2873 800-222-2871 800-222-2877 800-322-2877 Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS October 1, 2007 3 Industry, allies battle proposed Atlantic City rules ATLANTIC CITY — The The hearing, like one in August, medallion system that operators are senior vice president of the Amer- taxes, corporate registrations and motorcoach industry is getting lots was conducted to elicit comments required to participate in before ican Bus Association; Tom JeBran corporate taxes on operators from of support in its fight against high- from the bus and casino industries they can bring coaches into of Trans-Bridge Lines in Pennsyl- other states. er fees and more restricted highway on a proposed rulemaking by the Atlantic City. vania and vice president of the The impact of these changes, access in Atlantic City. South Jersey Transportation Au- The proposal would switch the Greater New Jersey Motorcoach said Presley, has been that many A second hearing last month on thority, which regulates bus traffic medallion fee system from a flat Association; Ken Presley, vice operators who routinely delivered changes proposed by the South Jer- in and around Atlantic City. charge to one based on the estimat- president of UMA, and a casino tourists to Atlantic City in the past sey Transportation Authority drew Under the proposed rules ed or actual number of trips into the spokesperson testified against the have abandoned the city. a number of coach operators, along change, all bus traffic would be city, increasing operators’ costs. changes. He quoted an operator from with representatives from the Great- redirected from Routes 30 and 40 At the hearing last month, In his testimony, Presley noted North Carolina who said he typi- er New Jersey Motorcoach, United to the Atlantic City Expressway, Godfrey LeBron of Paradise that in recent years New Jersey has cally ran five or six charters a year Motorcoach and American Bus as- which would result in additional Trailways in New York and vice made significant changes in the to Atlantic City, but doesn’t do it sociations, other groups and a spokes- tolls and mileage costs to operators. chairman of the United Motor- way it deals with the charter bus anymore. “‘When you do the math, person for Atlantic City casinos. The rule also would change the coach Association; Clyde Hart, industry by imposing franchise CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 þ Industry’s largest operator is searching for new CEO DALLAS — The help-wanted Currently, Coach America is sign is out at Coach America for a being led by a veteran business new CEO. manager, Michael P. Haley, who Fenway Partners, which pur- holds the title of executive chair- chased Coach America barely 10 man.