BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS —JuneApril 1, 1, 2005 2005 — 1 INDUSTRY NEWS WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE BUS INDUSTRY Medical examiner list is teed up by FMCSA; group plans to certify WASHINGTON — The thorny MONTGOMERY, Texas —Three issue of whether the federal govern- long-time truck and bus safety pro- ment should establish a national fessionals have created a not-for- registry of individuals certified to profit organization that will certify perform medical examinations for the proficiency of individuals who commercial vehicle drivers is being conduct U.S. Department of Trans- teed up again by the Federal Motor portation medical examinations. Carrier Safety Administration. The formation of the National The FMCSA has scheduled a Academy of DOT Medical Examin- high-profile public meeting June 22 ers, or NADME, was announced in to explore the controversial concept Washington, D.C., last month by its and to hear from experts of every organizers. stripe. The meeting is likely to be The purpose of NADME “is to contentious. promote and enhance the quality Upscale cutaway coaches like this ABC M1000, photographed at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Fairbault, Minn., are gaining in popularity. In announcing the public ses- and level of professional knowledge sion, the FMCSA also made clear and skills of medical practitioners it’s interested in developing infor- and other individuals who perform 35-foot Redux mation that could lead to making or assist in the performance of med- improvements to the system for ical examinations to determine the assuring the physical qualifications physical qualification of drivers of Operators bite bullet, buy cutaways of commercial drivers — under its commercial motor vehicles,” said current legal authority. Robert A. Hirsch, who is president Motorcoach operators — whose they’ve seen an increase in sales of Brown and other operators The idea of a National Registry and founder of the academy. calls for major bus manufacturers their top-of-the-line models, and who’ve been clamoring for smaller of Certified Medical Examiners has “The need for an organization to build a midsize highway coach much of the surge is due to the highway coaches say the size of been a just-below-the-surface issue like NADME is long overdue,” have gone unanswered — apparent- unavailability of a midsize highway charter groups is smaller these days since the Senate version of the mas- added academy Vice President Peter ly are losing their patience. coach. and many of their customers are not sive highway and public transit Van Beek, a former vice president Weary of the wait, many are “We held out as long as we willing to pay the price of a full size reauthorization bill was introduced for safety at Coach USA. turning to cutaway-style buses to could,” said David Brown, president coach they can’t fill. “They feel if more than 18 months ago. Van Beek developed the organi- fill what they say is an urgent and of Holiday Tours in Randleman, they use a larger bus, they’re paying Included in the bill, thanks to zation’s initial training program and growing need for a 35-foot, bus that N.C., who just took delivery of four too much,” he said. the efforts of the United Motor- certification examination together matches the durability and ride of a M1000 buses, ABC Companies’ Yet, they still want the comfort- coach Association, is language re- with doctors Jeffrey Liva of Mount 40- or 45-foot motorcoach. premium body-on-chassis midsize able ride they get from a full-size quiring the establishment of a Sinai Medical Center in New York Builders of cutaway buses say model. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 þ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ First Transit wins contract to operate DC Circulator WASHINGTON — First Transit stink was raised over the proposed the private shuttle operators and service out to bid in January. First To provide the service, First Inc., the nation’s largest private service and its potential to severely made no effort to involve them in Transit was the winning bidder. Transit will operate 29 Van Hool provider of municipal transit servic- undermine privately owned visitor developing the service, a require- The circulator, which could A330 transit buses that WMATA es, has been awarded the contract to shuttles operating among Washing- ment of federal transit law. begin as early as next month, will bought for about $12 million from operate the controversial DC Circu- ton landmarks. Protests and the threat of a law- operate on frequent headways along AC Transit in Oakland, Calif. The lator service in Washington. In planning the circulator, the suit, plus pressure from Congress, two routes serving Union Station, stylish, 40-foot, low-floor coaches The three-year, $16 million Washington Metropolitan Area the United Motorcoach Association Georgetown, the Convention Cen- seat 55, have three passenger doors, contract was put out for competitive Transit Authority paid scant atten- and the American Bus Association, ter, the Marina area and points and feature large side windows. bids earlier this year after a big tion to the impact it would have on resulted in WMATA putting the along the routes. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ * COACHES IN STOCK NOW 4HE BEST SELLING TOUR AND CHARTER COACH OF CAN BE YOURS JUST IN TIME FOR YOUR BUSY SEASON #ALL TODAY TO LEARN MORE #ALL -#)#/!#( OR VISIT MCICOACHCOM Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 1, 2005 3 Canadian company picks up pieces of Versyss failure PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The they are still trying to digest the President Neil Shafran. “We’ve ple, meaning small coach compa- “Things are going to be differ- collapse of bus industry software acquisition and work through prob- started anew. We are helping and nies could wait awhile before get- ent” with Enghouse, said one supplier Versyss Commercial Sys- lems created by Versyss, including working with their existing cus- ting any sort of personal attention. former Versyss employee. tems has scores of operators worried dealing with issues it has no legal tomers even though we are not Enghouse has created a new A key issue for Enghouse is about long-term product support obligation to tackle because of the obliged to. ... We’re trying to build unit, called TransSched Systems sorting out the people it inherited, and others wondering if they’ve lost limited nature of its purchase. a decent business.” Limited, to manage the assets it and putting them in the right spots. money they sunk into software As often happens in the soft- Shafran said employees are acquired from Versyss. One former In two critical areas, customer sup- Versyss had under development. ware industry, Enghouse agreed to attempting to meet with or call Versyss staff member said most port and research and development, Much of the grief has been buy Versyss’ technology, it didn’t Versyss customers — one at a time former employees of Versyss’ bus Enghouse has installed is own focused on a Canadian software agree to buy its blunders or bag- — to deal with problems and allay software division were offered jobs employees in the top spots for company called Enghouse Systems gage. Still, Enghouse has been concerns. But that may not neces- with Enghouse. Long-time industry TransSched, said Shafran. Limited that purchased some of the forced to do significant damage sarily be good news for all. software executive Margie Sellers Meanwhile, Versyss’ competi- transportation-related assets of control. Versyss’ biggest customers were has been put in charge of pulling tors are moving into the void. One Versyss in February. “We acquired selected assets,” public transit systems — New York the private-sector business of competing software maker reports Executives with Enghouse say said Enghouse Executive Vice City Transit being a prime exam- TransSched together. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 þ Pennsylvania coach operators win Philly regulatory fight PHILADELPHIA — Pennsyl- to regulate taxis, limousines and tion and individual operators rose services operating in Philadelphia The law applies only to passen- vania motorcoach companies ap- certain buses. up in arms. A suit was filed by three County from the state Public Utility ger vehicles that transport custom- pear to have stopped the Phila- The law granting the new operators and the association in fed- Commission to the parking author- ers within Philadelphia County lim- delphia Parking Authority from authority to PPA was passed last eral court challenging the law. ity. That change, which only affect- its, such as shuttle services from the attempting to regulate their opera- year by the Pennsylvania legisla- For a large regional operator like ed Philadelphia, gave the parking Philadelphia airport or convention tions, including imposing an annual ture. The measure was in the form The Martz Group of Wilkes-Barre, authority wide latitude in setting center to local hotels. It does not registration fee of $1,000 per bus. of an amendment to the state muni- Pa., the law would have cost the operating conditions and fees. impact transport into the city from At a meeting last month, an cipal code and escaped the notice of company $80,000 a year, according Among several things, the law re- outside areas, or trips originating in official with the parking authority individuals and groups who moni- to Ted Patton, a vice president at quires operators to make their buses Philadelphia and ending elsewhere. told a small group of operators and tor the legislature for Pennsylvania Martz. available for inspection by the PPA, And although the legislation representatives from the Phila- coach operators. For Philadelphia’s largest coach submit equipment lists, and provide was aimed primarily at limousines, delphia Convention & Visitors When the parking authority operator, David Thomas Tours, it information regarding any criminal charter buses were included in the Bureau that the authority will not began making noises about enforc- would have cost $14,000 annually.