Called 'most important' legislation in decades

WASHINGTON -- A Pennsylvania congressman whose industry-supported bus and motorcoach safety legislation stalled in Congress last year has introduced an updated version of his proposal again this year.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said hes optimistic his Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety Act will have a better run this year.

"We hope the introduction of this legislation rekindles the debate over motorcoach and bus safety," he said.

Ken Presley, vice president of the United Motorcoach Association, called the measure H.R. 1135 the most important piece of legislation affecting the bus and motorcoach industry in decades, and he urged operators from around the country to support it and urge their congressional representatives to do so, too.

Although the new version of the bipartisan legislation has some key changes, it again emphasizes establishing safety measures that come from extensive government studies and testing rather than federal mandates, a critical element that helps assure it the continued support of much of the industry.

"It is essential that the traveling public is protected with safety requirements that are based on science rather than government mandate alone," stressed Shuster.

Under the proposed legislation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be required to conduct studies to determine what safety measures might be needed, including possible requirements for seatbelts, stronger roof construction, improved window glazing, fire suppression equipment and enhanced emergency exits.

NHTSA has been conducting the first-of-its-kind bus crash and fire studies for more than a year and much of the work of the agency likely could be folded into other studies that might be done if the legislation passes.

More monitoring

New to the measure this year are provisions that would improve the oversight of motorcoach companies by subjecting them to increased monitoring by enforcement agencies, require enhanced driver training and testing to assure drivers are medically fit, and make certain that federal safety inspection requirements are effective.

"These are all important improvements to the legislation," Shuster said.

Addressing concerns that motorcoach operators could be forced to retrofit their existing buses to meet any new standards, Shuster said the idea is not to require retrofitting based on government mandates or one fix for all solutions. Instead, he said, a scientific study is needed to show what improvements should be made and if there is a need or demand for retrofitting.

The proposed legislation won the immediate endorsement of several other lawmakers, including Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, a cosponsor of the original bill that was introduced last year.

"Motorcoach and charter bus transportation is very safe," she said.

"However, recent fatal motorcoach accidents have shown us that additional safety measures may be warranted. I believe this legislation is an important step in the process of determining what we can do to ensure that all motorcoach and charter bus passengers are as safe as they can be."

Important supporters

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and John Duncan, R-Tenn., of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee joined in support of the measure.

"This bill emphasizes that safety must always be our top priority, but the bill also makes sure we dont place any unnecessary burdens on operators, many of whom are small businesses running just a few vehicles," noted Duncan.

UMAs Presley said that Shuster and his proposed legislation recognizes that the over-the-road bus industry "is the safest form of surface travel in the nation and that further enhancements to occupant protection requires comprehensive testing and sound science," he said. "Just shooting from the hip does not likely improve safety and may in fact endanger passengers."

He said the measure goes the distance in maximizing occupant protection and is a sensible approach because it requires any changes in standards be based on sound scientific research, testing and implementation.

"Every operator should contact their congressional representative and ask them to support H.R. 1135," he asserted.

Getting smart on issues

Presley also praised Shuster and Johnson for their efforts, saying they have distinguished themselves by taking the time to understand the intricate nature of motorcoaches and passenger safety.

"Both are truly interested in eliminating passenger fatalities and reducing injuries and the United Motorcoach Association is proud to support their efforts," he said.

Shuster said he feels good about the chances of the bill doing much better this time than it did last year when no action was taken on it.

"I am confident that Rep. Johnson and I can work with the leadership on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to have the measure folded into a larger highway reauthorization bill expected to come up later this year," he said.

Shusters interest in bus safety issues was prompted by the late Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmore, who died shortly before he was to introduce bus safety legislation of his own. Gillmore got involved after a motorcoach accident killed seven members of a college baseball team from Ohio.