WASHINGTON All for-hire motorcoach operators in the U.S. will soon be receiving a letter from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration warning them they better be complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for bus companies or they risk losing their operating authority.

The letter is the first formal acknowledgement by the FMCSA that it plans to begin enforcing requirements of the Over-the-Road Bus Transportation Accessibility Act of 2007 that became law this past summer. (See Sept. 1 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

The act was pushed through Congress by the American Bus Association, with help from Greyhound Lines and the Amalgamated Transit Union, to target a few suspected noncompliant intercity carriers, mainly Chinatown curbside operators, running along the northeast corridor. (See Jan. 2008 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, 2007 issues of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

While the law targets the Chinatown line-run outfits, it applies to all coach operators tour and charter, sightseeing, shuttle, plus intercity.

Those opposing the law, including the United Motorcoach Association, maintained there was no evidence of widespread noncompliance with ADA requirements by bus operators, or unmet passenger needs that would warrant a new law.

Opponents also noted that the under-resourced FMCSA, whose primary mission is to improve commercial vehicle safety, is now compelled to chase ADA paperwork.

The new one-page letter from the FMCSA should arrive in operator mailboxes at about the same time as this newspaper.

It will point out that if a coach operator is found to have willfully violated ADA regulations covering the handling of passengers with disabilities, it can have its operating authority yanked.

"Consequently, you should review the ADA regulations to ensure your company is able to comply with them," says the letter signed by FMCSA Associate Administrator for Enforcement and Program Delivery William A. Quade.

The letter also notes that operating authority for new companies can be withheld unless the new operator certifies it is willing and able to comply with ADA requirements.

The applicability of ADA regulations to coach operators varies depending on company size and type of service provided. Information about the specific requirements can be found at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/bus/company/ada-guidelines.htm.

Last month was the deadline for all bus operators to submit reports to the FMCSA, documenting their compliance with ADA requirements during the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2008. (See Nov. 1 Bus & Motorcoach News.)