Buses – The Unsung Heroes of the Transportation Industry

Some superhero stories start off with “it’s a bird, it’s a plane… it’s Superman!” This story starts off with an engine coming to life and pulling out onto the highway, rural road, and a street near you. It is the story of the motorcoach and how it is here to save the day!

The bus can do more for the citizens of Metropolis, Gotham or any American town than Superman or Batman can. It can help save the environment. But much like other superhero alter egos, the bus goes unnoticed. It is not flashy. It doesn’t wear a special iconic costume but what it does is no less legendary than other superheroes.

Did you know that the bus is the greenest form of transportation? Not only does a full bus take up to 50 cars off the road, but it also has a better environmental rating on a per person basis than planes and trains.

In a recent United Nations report – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – revealed that the Earth’s temperature will shoot past a key danger point unless greenhouse gas emissions fall faster than countries have committed. A 2019 report by the American Bus Association Foundation states that on average, motorcoaches use the least amount of energy and produce the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile compared with cars, van pools, heavy rail, intercity rail, commuter rail, domestic air travel, trolley bus, light rail, ferry boat and demand service vehicles. In the pre-pandemic era, the private motorcoach industry moved nearly 600 million passengers annually utilizing 36,000 motorcoaches.

Another selling point for motorcoach use is that 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. Buses can pick up passengers wherever there is a need, which again saves on commuting to and from hubs and stations to take a trip.

Motorcoaches are also economical especially now in times of high gas prices and inflation. A recent study by Longwoods International, which studies U.S. travelers showed that the COVID-19 pandemic is less of a barrier to travel for many Americans. Instead of COVID-19, it’s rising gas prices that are leading to hesitancy among travelers, with two-thirds indicating that fuel prices will impact their travel decisions in the next six months. What’s more, more than one-third say these costs will greatly impact their travel plans in the near future. Surging prices at the pump have led travelers to choose destinations closer to home and even reduce the number of trips they plan on taking, Longwoods International found.

The additional gas costs are also impacting Americans’ spending on retail, entertainment and recreation as well as food and beverage and lodging. In some cases, travelers are choosing to drive rather than fly to their destination.

Traveling by motorcoach can provide bigger savings for Americans who rather drive than pay high airline fees. Not only do you not have to deal with the stress of driving, but your bags will also travel free, and you get to see America as it should be experienced…from the ground.

Take a trip to a National Park. Make friends as you travel to a new city. Want a small, intimate trip with just friends and family? Buses come in all sizes to accommodate customer needs and they can go where other forms of transportation can’t reach.

So, as you consider where to go on your next trip that won’t break the bank or harm the environment, consider booking a trip on a motorcoach and enjoy the adventure.

To find a motorcoach or tour operator in your area to help you book your next trip, try our Public Member Search.