CARLSBAD, Calif. When the Federal Transit Administration issued its revised rule for charter operations a year and a half ago, motorcoach operators across the country were elated.

Finally, they figured, they would be on an even playing field with public transit agencies, which had been taking away charter business from them for years.

Transit agencies, however, were not so happy.

Although they had agreed during negotiations to about 80 percent of the rule, they viewed it as bringing an end to the oft-times lucrative charter business that had been providing them with additional revenues.

Well, according to a team of experts speaking at the annual convention of the California Bus Association, the transit agencies are still angry and theyre hoping to have the rule reworked so they can start doing charters again.

"It is a good rule and the public-funded transit agencies have been angry ever since," Clyde Hart, vice president of the American Bus Association told the more than 100 CBA members who attended the meeting.

"We believe the stars were aligned in our favor for us to get the rule we got, but that will change if we have to do it again,"

Although the transit agencies appear to be behind widening efforts to tamper with the charter rule, it is members of Congress who have moved out front on the issue.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, several weeks ago attached an amendment to the 2010 transportation appropriations bill that would prohibit the FTA from enforcing the charter rule in her state. And, because she chairs the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, other committee members now are talking about adding their states to the amendment.

Also, two California congressmen, Republican Rep. David Dreier and Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, are circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter among House members that proposes to allow public transit agencies to operate charters for all "public events."

"That would shoot a hole in the charter rule and undo everything we have with the rule now," stressed Victor Parra, president and chief executive of the United Motorcoach Association. "Public events are just about everything we do."

He said the proposal by the two congressmen is attracting some interest because it was started by members of both political parties and is being viewed as a nonpartisan effort.

It appears to be causing confusion, too, which could slow any effort to stop it.

Parra said that when he met with members of the staff of Texan Republican Rep. Joe Barton, they told him they had assumed the motorcoach industry supported the proposal and were surprised to hear that they actually opposed it.

"There still are a lot of members of Congress who dont know what the rule is all about," he said.

However, there has been at least one development that could help, according to Parra. He said UMA appears to achieved an agreement with Dreiers office in which the congressman will consider removing his name from the letter, which would weaken it because it then would lose its nonpartisan appeal.

Dreier initially agreed to be linked to the letter because he was concerned that shuttle service for the annual Jan. 1 Rose Bowl college football game could be negatively impacted if public transit buses were not allowed to take part. However, an agreement assures that full shuttle service would be available for the parade and football game.

Parra said he also met with Sen. Murrays staff, but it was not a very productive session.

He said the staff hinted that the senator would drop her charter rule exemption measure if the national associations could get all of the motorcoach operators in the Seattle area to agree not to pursue any charter contracts with the Seattle Mariners baseball and Seattle Seahawks football teams.

Murray is a strong supporter of King County Metro, which had been serving the sports teams before the new rule took effect and which would pick them up again if the private companies stepped aside.

"We just couldnt do that because that would be coercion," he said. "And besides, Clyde and I dont look good in orange jumpsuits."

Parra and Hart were joined by panel members Jim Seal, an industry consultant, and Mike Waters of Coach America Franciscan Lines urging operators from across the country to immediately get involved in the fight to save the rule.

"This is one of our industrys most serious threats because transits have made overturning the rule their No. 1 priority," emphasized Parra.

The panel called on operators to begin meeting regularly with their members of Congress, letting them know who they are, how important they are to the community and how they value the charter rule.

"We need friends, your congressional members. They can be helpful and they want to be helpful. But if they dont hear from you, they wont hold off making their decision until you show up," Hart said.

Parra agreed, noting that members of Congress hear from transit agencies all of the time and they now need to hear from motorcoach operators as well.

He suggested, too, that operators need to become more involved in their own communities, which would strengthen the industrys position on how critical the charter rule is.

Panelists also urged operators to bid for charter jobs when they become available in order to show the FTA they are interested and capable of doing charters.

"If you have an opportunity to do a job that comes under charter, it is very important you do it effectively," said Parra.

Hart suggested, too, that operators carefully watch transit agencies that may be suspected of doing illegal charters and file complaints with federal regulators when they believe the rule is being violated.

"If you want to keep the rule, you are going to have to fight for it," he added.