Bus & Motorcoach News

October 1, 2004 THE NEWS RESOURCE FOR THE BUS AND MOTORCOACH INDUSTRY Operators capture $9.9 million in security grants WASHINGTON — Motor- a branch of the Department of joint security planning and training panies, plus the Trailways Transpor- coach operators in 23 states, plus three Homeland Security, to the Office Complete list of grant project that will reach coach oper- tation System; the city of McAllen, industry trade associations and one of Domestic Preparedness. recipients, pages 12-13 ators across the U.S. Texas; the Northwest Motorcoach coach marketing organization, have Last year, TSA awarded $20 mil- monitoring systems and provide Last year, the two associations Association, and UMA-ABA were been awarded nearly $10 million in lion in grants for industry security. training for personnel to recognize were awarded more than $1.6 mil- awarded bus security grants this federal grants to improve security. Much of the grant money this and respond to criminal attacks lion that was used to develop and year that range in size from $747 to The grants are coming from the year will go to buy global position and terrorist threats. distribute a security training pro- more than $1.4 million. Office of Domestic Preparedness, a satellite systems for coaches. Such Nearly 92 percent of this year’s gram to hundreds of operators. Greyhound Lines, which last unit of the U.S. Department of systems allow operators to monitor, grant money will end up directly in This year’s grant to the associa- year ended up getting nearly half of Homeland Security. The federal track and communicate with their the hands of operators. tions will be used to expand on last all the money awarded by the TSA, government’s Intercity Bus Security coaches at all times. Other grants The remaining 8 percent is year’s effort, including programs for captured a more modest share this Grant Program was transferred ear- will be used to improve facility going to the United Motorcoach conducting security assessments, year — 16 percent. The two grants lier this year from the Transporta- security and buy driver shields, cell Association and the American Bus planning and training. awarded Greyhound this year total tion Security Administration, also phones, closed-circuit television Association, which will manage a A total of 51 motorcoach com- CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 þ Virginia operator gains stunning win in charter battle WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — making boned-headed decisions. Oleta Coach Lines of Williamsburg The ruling completely obliter- appears to have won a major victo- ated any notion anyone might have ry in its year-long struggle to stop had that the FTA is anything more Hurricanes haunt operators Williamsburg Area Transport from than a shill for public transit agen- conducting charter shuttle service. cies, one industry executive said. In a stunning move, James City The FTA decision is so egre- Nov. 30 can’t come too soon for companies County announced last month it gious, in fact, that it is scheduled to intended to cease operating the be highlighted at a hearing Sept. The devastating series of hurri- Lauderdale, said his company lost storms come during a busier period Jamestown Area Shuttle that it 27, by the U.S. House of Repre- canes that roared across Florida in dozens of bookings and $75,000 to for the industry, the financial losses helped Williamsburg Area Trans- sentatives Committee on Govern- August and September has turned $100,000 in revenues because of could have been much higher, port start one year ago. ment Reform. that state’s motorcoach industry on the storms. operators stressed. The announcement came even Committee Chairman Doug its ear. Operators in other parts of the Florida was struck by three though a regional administrator for Ose, who has been an outspoken Operators say they were flooded battered state reported similar loss- major hurricanes — Charlie, the Federal Transit Administration critic of the FTA’s non-enforce- with cancellations when the first es and all were left wondering how Frances and Ivan — in a three- had ruled earlier this year the shut- ment of federal charter service storm hit in late August and the long it will be before business week period. The trio of storms cut tle was not a charter service. rules, called the hearing to probe calls continued even after the third returns to normal and they can a deadly swath of destruction, “It has never ever happened not only the Oleta case but other storm struck during the third week start trying to recover some of the killing more than three-dozen peo- that a transit agency has backed outlandish examples of public tran- of September. losses. ple and causing billions of dollars in down like this,” said Victor Parra, sit agencies engaging in or trying to At the same time, however, the While the cancelled business damages to homes, businesses, president and CEO of the United engage in charter service, and to hurricanes also generated new, was a serious blow to most compa- roadways and bridges. Motorcoach Association. UMA hear from FTA Administrator unexpected business for some com- nies, it easily could have been While regular motorcoach tour and the American Bus Association Jennifer Dorn. panies. worse. Several operators noted that and charter business came to a vir- had backed Oleta in its fight. The Oleta-Jamestown fiasco is “We have taken $15,000 to two of the storms struck at a time tual standstill during the days The FTA decision in the Oleta- instructive because it shows just $20,000 in cancellations with each when the industry was between before and after the storms, many Jamestown case was widely seen by how easy it is for a private operator passing hurricane,” said Brian Scott busy periods. That is, the summer carriers gained new business as a coach industry observers as one of with good intentions to be steam- of Escot Lines in Largo, Fla. season had passed and the heavy result of the storms. the most outrageous rulings ever to rolled by a public transit system. Jim Davis, president of Davis school and fall seasons had not yet Dozens of carriers were called come out of an agency that is in a Oleta is a small family-owned Tours and Charters in Ft. gotten into full swing. Had the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 þ class by itself when it comes to CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 þ $ISCOVER WHY WERE THE 0ARTS 0ROS Á n «>ÀÌÃ] Ã«ii`Þ `iÛiÀÞ° *>ÀÌÃ vÀ *ÀiÛÃÌ¸ V>V iÃ° &" %- ,.))(+- "À`iÀ i >Ì Ì i *>ÀÌÃ -ÌÀi° 53 #ANADA WWWMCICOACHCOM BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS — October 1, 2004 — 3 INDUSTRY NEWS Mike Sodrel drives hard in second bid for Congress JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — gressional Committee, told one Bush is expected to win the district Mike Sodrel, chairman and CEO of newspaper that Sodrel has “im- again this year. one of the coach industry’s best- pressed a lot of people in Repub- Sodrel’s rise in Republican cir- known independent operations, lican leadership in Washington. cles is evidenced by a visit by Vice The Free Enterprise System Inc., is “There are very few competi- President Dick Cheney at a making another run for Congress. tive races this election on either Jeffersonville fund-raiser, and the Sodrel ran two years ago, chal- side,” said Harmon. “This is a sol- fact Sodrel was chosen to speak at lenging the Democratic incum- idly Republican district, and Sodrel the Republican National Con- bent, Rep. Baron Hill, and narrowly ran surprisingly well in it last time. vention last month in New York. losing. In that race, Sodrel got little Now he has an established fund- Sodrel and 23 other House can- support from the national Repub- raising base. Nationally, we see this didates were picked by the party lican Party but this time things are as an absolutely great opportunity because they represent tight races different — very different. for Republicans to pick up a seat.” or open seats. Each got a minute to The 2004 Mike Sodrel cam- The 20-county district in speak to thousands of flag-waving paign has grabbed the attention of southeastern Indiana that Sodrel is delegates and bystanders and mil- Republicans nationally. Bo Harmon, running from has traditionally lions more on TV. It was easily the deputy communications manager backed Democrats, but it swung biggest speech of Sodrel’s political Mike Sodrel often drives an 18-wheeler to campaign events. for the National Republican Con- heavily to President Bush in 2000. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 þ Greyhound, Peter Pan cut fares to compete with Chinatown buses NEW YORK — The bus war Information about the reduced pitting Greyhound Lines and Peter Greyhound and Peter Pan fares, Pan Bus Lines against cut-rate including those to Washington, Chinese-American operators took D.C., is available on Greyhound’s an interesting turn last month Web site, www.greyhound.com, or when Greyhound and Peter Pan by calling Greyhound’s toll-free began promoting discounted fares number: (800) 231-2222. between New York, Boston and Peter Pan customers who go Philadelphia. to that company’s Web site, Friday through Sunday, the www.peterpanbus.com, looking for one-way walkup and internet fare the cheap fares are hot linked to on Greyhound and Peter Pan be- Greyhound’s Web address where tween New York and Boston is $15. they can purchase the tickets. That matches the fare charged Fung Wah’s Web site, by Peter Pan and Greyhound’s www.fungwahbus.com, also allows principal competitor on the online ticket purchases. Web pur- Boston-to-New York run, Fung chasers of Fung Wah tickets must Wah Transportation, which says it pay a 5 percent service charge.

Load more