The Bus Industry Speaks Out Do You Hear Them? By Carmen Daecher

The Bus Industry made its views known regarding issues of joint concern to them, government, and the enforcement community at a day-long seminar held as part of Bus Expo '96, the annual bus industry trade show held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 29th through 31st. Hundreds of bus operators across the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as industry suppliers and industry advocates attended the event. Also present for the day-long seminar were George Reagle, Associate Administrator, Clint Magby, and Bill Blount of FHWA/OMC.

This seminar was designed to be a follow-up to the Bus Summit held last July in Tyson's Corner, Virginia. From the seventeen issues of importance to the bus industry identified during the Summit, four critical areas were identified for discussion and preferred courses of action by those in attendance at the seminar. These critical areas are:

• Inspections
• Training
• Hours of Service
• Data Information Issues
• Identify problem drivers
• Passenger injuries
• Quality accident data
• Better identify safe and unsafe carriers

Discussion groups were formed to develop preferred courses of action for each critical area. The defined courses of action had to represent a consensus of those participating in each group.

As a result of this process, the following courses of action have been identified by the bus industry:

Inspections

• Create mandatory periodic inspections administered by each state.
• FHWA should take necessary steps to grant reciprocity of compliance review between those conducted by FHWA, MTMC, and individual states.
• Insure consistency and reduce redundant Level I, II, and III inspections of buses.

Training

• Develop an industry-initiated certification for mechanics.
• Identify/develop better driver and mechanic training aids (videos, etc.)
• Encourage bus driver and mechanic training schools.
• Develop better methods of disseminating model curriculums and other training materials to operators.
• Seek premium discounts from the insurance industry for employing certified mechanics and for drivers trained to specified standards.

Hours of Service

• Develop regulators specifically tailored to the bus industry, taking into account the types of services and equipment used.
• Enact regulations that promote a "level playing field" by including van and limo operations.
• Make hours of service regulations and interpretation less confusing.
• Clearly define "on duty" for bus drivers, especially as it relates to "control of the vehicle" and use of the bus for driver rest and relaxation.
• Improve communications by providing a central resource that carriers may access for immediate information.

Data Information Issues

• Need consensus of bus population.
• Develop quality-driver systems to identify problem drivers and analyze accidents.
• Develop accident database to analyze accident types/frequencies/contributing factors.

Now that the Bus Industry has clarified issues that are critical to them, and have suggested courses of actions to address them, each of us need to assess how we can be partners in "getting the job done." Carriers, industry, regulators, and enforcement officials need to determine what each can do towards implementing the above courses of action.

From a CVSA perspective, Norfolk is a great place to start!

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