WASHINGTON -- Here are key points that can be made when contacting a member of Congress regarding the charter service language in the Senate bill that will be considered by the House:
1.) The private motorcoach industry needs help to continue offering service to the more than one-half billion passengers it serves annually.
2.) Senate Bill 1072, the Senate's version of the reauthorization of TEA-21, contains language which will adversely affect the service these bus operators can offer the public.
3.) Section 3022 of the amended Senate Bill 1072 would allow publicly funded transit agencies to offer charter services to local governments and social service agencies, plus schools, universities, hospitals and senior citizens.
4.) Current law reserves the opportunity to offer charter services to the entities noted in No. 3 to private bus operators unless there is no private carrier "willing and able" to provide such service. Over the years, some publicly funded transit agencies have flouted this law and now seek to enshrine their non-compliance into law.
5.) Publicly funded transit agencies can get up to 90% of the cost of their equipment paid for by federal taxpayers, giving them a huge cost advantage over private operators. These transit agencies use this advantage to charge prices below those of private operators and ultimately drive private operators out of business.
6.) Because of this inequality, Congress gave private operators "first crack" at charter opportunities. That long-standing protection is now under attack by the transits and the unions representing their drivers.
7.) A lobbying effort is underway by the transits and their unions to import the Senate bill's charter language into the House transportation bill (HR 3550).
8.) These loophole provisions will severely affect private operators' ability to provide charter service and may force them from continuing in business.
9.) I operate a motor coach company in _(where)_, _(state)_ and provide service to _(number of)_ passengers each year. My family and I and my _(number of)_ employees depend on charter service to local government and social service entities to remain in business. In fact, charter service to social service agencies accounts for ____ percent of my business.
10.) Please help me stay in business. Support the the United Motorcoach Association, the California Bus Association, state bus associations, the National School Transportation Association and the American Bus Association in their efforts to protect small businessmen and women such as myself.
11.) Key contacts: Congressman Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at (202) 225-5765 or by Fax at (202)225-0425. Ranking Member, Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., at (202) 225-6211 or by fax at (202) 225-0699. Tell them that there should be no expansion of the rules for transit agencies into charter service.