Lawmakers introduce sweeping bus, motorcoach safety bill

Pennsylvania lawmakers Bill Shuster and Tim Holden, along with Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, introduced a bill in Congress Wednesday to improve passenger safety on U.S. buses and motorcoaches. Called the “Bus Uniform Standards and Enhance Safety (BUSES) Act of 2011,” the measure would strengthen the U.S. Department of Transportation’s oversight and efforts to set uniform safety standards on new and existing buses.

If passed, the bill would affect approximately 35,000 motorcoaches, which provide 750 million passenger trips annually. The BUSES Act would help to ensure only the best, most well-trained drivers could transport passengers, and it would require testing that could lead to more regulations that govern the bus transportation industry. The bill would establish minimum training requirements for drivers seeking a CDL with a passenger endorsement, and would allow the USDOT to review individual state requirements for the CDL drivers.

The bill also takes into consideration that the number of America’s motorcoach companies are small businesses, with many being family owned. The BUSES Act would authorize tax credits and loans to help defray safety improvement costs.

2 Responses to “Lawmakers introduce sweeping bus, motorcoach safety bill”

  1. Charles Paden

    Where in the BUSES Act of 2011 can I find a category that details inspections of leaking oil-cooled alternators, that can lead to bus fires?

  2. That’s such a cute name they created for this act (BUSES). It probably took them longer to find the right wording to come up with this than it did to create the law. I’m all for safety, but it’s the little guys who are going to suffer. There are already laws on the books that would/should have prevented rogue companies and drivers to get behind the wheel. Problem is they don’t enforce the ones that are already in place. They need to come up with some other laws to justify their existance. Typical politicians.