In an economy this bleak with requisite budget slashing unfortunately becoming the new order of the day, agencies and companies seem to be operating on the premise that they are just doing what a business has to do.
Jason Pollard, a quick thinking operator for Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT), Hartford, CT, and a team of supervisors faced a bizarre scene an agency could never anticipate. Deadheading an empty bus to his route start one early morning in late January, Pollard encountered a man and a woman in the breakdown lane running toward him. As she approached, he realized the woman was trying to escape a frenzied attacker.
The light went on when Marlon Bates, general manager, paratransit division for Veolia Transportation, Baltimore, MD, noticed major delivery companies replacing fleets with sleek one-piece European styled vehicles promising greater economy and efficiency.
The motorcoach industry is peppered with proof that family-owned and operated businesses can take management transitions in stride. There may be differences in management styles and temperaments, advances in technology and the changing face of today’s economy to contend with, but with proper steps and a little planning, the process can strengthen both the company and the family.
Public and private coach operators across the country are vying for and receiving federal funding under the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more commonly known as stimulus funding.
There is a lot of talk these days about shovel-ready projects. While it would be difficult to actually find a shovel on the production line of the Motor Coach Industries (MCI) factory in Pembina, ND, it is fair to say the nearly 250 workers at that facility are wrench-ready.
Introduced at APTA Expo 2008, the Rotary Mach 4 is the company’s most recent iteration of its mobile column lift. Rotary sales manager Roger Perlstein says this product sets up fast and raises a vehicle 70 inches in 78 seconds. The company claims this is quicker than comparable lifts.
Last year Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, Berrien Springs, MI, charged with caring for the community’s special needs children, faced state budget cuts and had to find a way to lower costs without compromising safety. It needed specialized vehicles, a flexible and compassionate staff and nurses to ride routes. Officials were not sure what they would find when they first considered outsourcing the transportation program.
Chicago Neighborhood Tours, a division of the Office of Tourism, recently added several new themed half-day bus tours to its offerings this season.
The new tours include a look at Albany Park with stops at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum, the River Park Dam and Waterfall, North Park Village and the Superdawg Drive-In.
I was looking at photos on Trailways Bus Driver Web site and came across the photo of the Super Golden Eagle. The picture was taken in December 2008. Does anyone know where the bus is located or have any info on who owns it?
It was owned and restored by Pete Wilson of Wilson’s Bus Co. in East Templeton, MA. Its mate (only four were built) sits unrestored at the Green Tortoise yard in southern Oregon.
Most safety personnel and owners would say they provide driver training to ensure their drivers are capable of operating their vehicles. After all, buses are expensive to buy and expensive to repair, and a bus out of service for any reason is even more costly when the monthly payment comes due.