Since the tragic loss of 23 nursing home patients in a bus fire during the September 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation, Washington, DC, the media and the nation have become increasingly interested in preventing motorcoach, transit and school bus fires.
S. 554 will likely come before the Senate in the “lame duck” session which begins November 15. While the bill claims to enhance motorcoach safety, in reality it is a bad bill that can’t be made right. The industry was not asked to provide any input to the bill. It must not be passed by the Senate during the lame duck session.
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Retaining capable bus and coach drivers has always been a major challenge for motorcoach operators. In today’s travel market, however, retaining safe and qualified drivers is no longer enough. The most competent drivers also serve efficiently and effectively as safety experts, schedulers, technicians, ticket-takers, baggage handlers and customer service representatives.
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Close cooperation and open communications between American and Canadian members of the motorcoach, tour and travel industries are more important today than ever as people slowly start traveling again for leisure across all regions of North America.
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For years, the American Bus Association has been urging the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to crack down on illegal “rogue” operators imperiling public safety. This month, FMCSA took decisive action against one of these illegal bus operators.
