Congress must act now to protect the U.S. bus industry

We’ve all ridden buses before. Motorcoach buses are commonly used for intercity travel, school field trips, group tours, military transport and more. But last year, the pandemic changed everything. The once thriving $15 billion bus industry was essentially shut down. Now it’s up to Congress to save this industry that millions of everyday Americans rely on for travel, and for their jobs.

For nearly 100 years and three generations, my family has run a bus business in New Britain. We have always been a reliable, affordable way for our neighbors to commute to work, school and travel for weddings and family trips. Last year we had to shutter our business for the first time and furlough more than 2,000 employees due to the pandemic. And unfortunately, we’re not alone. Nationwide, 25 percent of the bus industry has already closed due to COVID-19 and without additional support from Congress, this number could grow to 40 percent, according to the American Bus Association.

If the bus industry has a chance to survive, Congress must act now to provide additional financial support. While Congress has been generous with its support for others in the travel industry, the bus industry has yet to receive the full support it needs. The $2 billion in economic relief that Congress initially provided to the bus industry simply doesn’t cover the $13 billion in losses that businesses like mine have suffered.

As a country, we cannot afford to let the bus industry go under. Buses are the most affordable and accessible way to travel. In fact, rail travel is often twice as expensive as traveling by coach bus, while traveling by car is almost three times as costly. That’s part of the reason why 574.6 million people ride buses every year. Buses are full of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds — college kids trying to save a buck, a young person chasing dreams in a new city, a retired couple who finally has the time to explore, just to name a few examples.

It’s also important that we protect the many jobs that the bus industry supports. The bus industry directly employs 98,500 people — bus drivers, mechanics, operators, fabricators and more. These are high-quality jobs with specialized skills that provide for middle-class families. In addition, the industry indirectly supports as many as 1.98 million jobs in the tourism industry, generating over $86.4 billion in wages and benefits, as we transport visitors to destinations across the country.

Lastly, buses are the most environmentally friendly way to travel. The bus industry has the smallest carbon footprint compared to any other transport mode. By comparison, cars release six times more CO2 per mile than buses and aviation produces 10 times more CO2 than cars. If Washington wants to take action on climate, they cannot ignore the cleanest method of transportation.

We appreciated the support of Sen. Blumenthal and Chairwoman DeLauro on the initial round of funding for the bus industry, and strongly urge Congress to again support the industry. Buses connect rural areas and urban centers. We bring everyday workers to their jobs, children to their school field trips, and we are honored to safely transport our military service members and National Guardsmen. All of this transportation is affordable and environmentally friendly. If Congress doesn’t act, thousands of jobs will be lost and families will suffer. Let’s not let that happen.