Contact: Eron Shosteck
Phone: 202-218-7220
WASHINGTON, DC – The American Bus Association today lauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Motorcoach Safety Action Plan” for its holistic approach to motorcoach safety, including the need for more aggressive enforcement to get rogue operators off of the road, enhance operator safety oversight, invigorate vehicle safety maintenance, and focus on crash avoidance technologies as well as occupant protection.
“ABA’s position has always been that safety is our top priority,” said ABA President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “Government data show motorcoaches to be the safest form of surface transportation. But we are committed to making the safest even safer. So we welcome the opportunity to work constructively with Secretary LaHood and other agencies within reasonable, science-driven timeframes to enhance passenger safety.”
ABA safety professionals are currently reading the entire 56-page report, and will have more detailed comments after completing a full analysis of its recommendations.
“ABA supports initiatives that help remove unsafe companies and drivers from the roads; that establish educational benchmarks for drivers; and that makes certain companies entering the industry are knowledgeable and abide by all regulatory requirements,” Pantuso added. “Vigorous enforcement of existing laws doesn’t require new regulations, and can start yielding quantifiable safety results immediately.”
“With respect to technology and safety engineering enhancements or equipment questions, we look forward to working closely with the various agencies as we all move forward to promote safety,” Pantuso concluded. “But we cannot comment specifically on the details until we have the time to read each of its 56 pages.”
The American Bus Association is the trade organization of the intercity bus industry with more than 1000 motorcoach owner and tour company members in the United States and Canada. Its members operate charter, tour, regular route, airport express, special operations and contract services. Another 2,800 members are travel and tourism organizations and suppliers of bus products and services who work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry.