WASHINGTON — Bernard Barnes, operations manager for Kingsmen Coach Lines in Conley, Ga., received the Motor Coach Operator of the Year award from the Guild of Professional Tour Guides.
The award recognizes a motorcoach operator who has best contributed to the team spirit of guiding and to the care and comfort of passengers, including the condition of the coach. Barnes’ selection was based on his team spirit, good manners, enjoyment of his passengers, sense of humor and thorough knowledge of the streets in Washington, D.C. Recipients are nominated by the Guild’s membership.
Barnes is a former motorcoach company owner and a member of the founding board of directors of the Georgia Motorcoach Operators Association.
He also serves as a driver for group trips because of his love of the industry and his pleasure in serving the passengers on Kingsmen coaches.
Guild officials say Barnes loves the feel of the coach steering wheel and the sound of those wheels as they go round and round. It has been said that bus drivers are a special breed, which describes Barnes, who is a natural when it comes to hospitality and his genuine care and concern for people he meets, especially his passengers.
