ABA Tells Sec. Buttigieg We Are Here to Help America Move Again
The American Bus Association (ABA) – the industry leader advancing North American motorcoach travel and tourism – today stated that Secretary Buttigieg's bold mission to rebuild America's infrastructure and foster equality matches the mission and work of America's motorcoach industry.
“Secretary Buttigieg's prioritization of safety, environmental friendliness and ensuring transportation as an engine for equity is what the motorcoach industry is all about,” said Peter Pantuso, ABA president & CEO. “Unlike other modes of transportation motorcoaches are everywhere transporting anyone and everyone who need to get somewhere safely, efficiently and economically. We are the safest and greenest form of surface transportation.”
Before the pandemic, America's private motorcoach industry moved nearly 600 passengers annually and has been an essential piece of the country's transportation system, as well as an economic driver. Annually, the motorcoach industry added more than $15 billion to the U.S. economy, while group travel and tourism added another $237 billion.
America's 36,000 motorcoaches are not tied only to hubs and stations. Buses transport millions of people daily on scheduled intercity routes taking employees to and from work; connecting rural America to urban centers when there is no other means of transportation; transporting college students to and from school; providing economically feasible vacation opportunities for families and fixed-income seniors across the country; ensuring elementary and secondary students can attend school and extracurricular events; transporting military service men and women base-to-base as well as picking them up when they come home from missions; transporting school and professional sports teams to events; and helping citizens evacuate and repatriate in the face of natural disasters. Motorcoach operations reach all sectors of the country and serve ALL Americans.
Further, in terms of green transportation, on average one motorcoach takes 50 cars off the road, while using the least amount of energy and producing the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile of any of the transportation modes analyzed, including van pool, heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, trolley, air travel and more.
As to safety, it is the highest priority of the industry in executing its mission, as our record reflects being identified by both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board as the safest mode of surface transportation.
“We look forward to working the Secretary Buttigieg and his team to keep America moving as we recover from the pandemic,” said Pantuso.
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