CRYSTAL CITY, Va. - New motorcoach operators should be schooled and tested on state and federal safety regulations before being allowed to put any buses on the nations highways.

That was the overwhelming opinion of more than 150 representatives from all areas of the industry who spent two days last month discussing ways motorcoach travel could be made safer.

Brought together here by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance for a special bus safety summit, the group voted as its top safety priority government regulations that would require new-entrant carriers to pass safety training classes and meet minimum safety requirements before receiving operational authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Currently, no such requirements exist, making it relatively easy for potentially unsafe carriers to set up shop, including those that are being reincarnated as new companies after being forced to shut down by regulators because of safety or other violations.

The new-entrant issue beat out, by a wide margin, seven other proposals that received serious attention in a series of meetings and workshops held during the seminar.

Ranked second among the priorities was a suggestion that states inspect all buses registered in their state at least once a year. While states with aggressive safety and enforcement programs inspect many of their buses on a regular basis, some inspect them only periodically and others do it only occasionally.

Tied for third in the voting were requirements that all buses be equipped with electronic recorders so driver logs and hours of service could be more easily tracked; drivers and patrol officers receive special training in recognizing problems that could lead to bus fires, and driver training programs be developed that emphasize motivating drivers so they drive safely and want to remain with the company.

Also receiving votes were the development of procedures that identify and remove rogue motorcoach companies from the industry, make medical examinations for drivers more stringent, and hold passenger carriers to higher standards than other commercial drivers.

The priority list will be reviewed later this month at a CVSA Passenger Carrier Committee meeting where an action plan to promote the ideas will be drafted, according to Steve Keppler, director of policy and programs for the alliance.

He said the material will be used in CVSAs interactions with federal lawmakers on pending motorcoach safety legislation, as well as during discussions with House and Senate members on highway and transportation spending issues.

The new-entrant proposal stirred wide interest from most of the industry representatives, many of whom said they worry about operators who start motorcoach companies with very little knowledge of the business.

Some suggested new operators be issued temporary operating authority so regulators can monitor their performance for a period before granting permanent authority.

Others recommended that start-up businesses be required to have their own repair shops or contracts with existing service centers so there would be some assurances that maintenance work and repairs on the buses were being done.

And a few called for the new-entrant carriers to be required to cover the cost of the training and testing.

The summit, the first held by the organization in several years, drew representatives from throughout the country and included operators, safety managers, law enforcement personnel and federal and state regulators.

"We were very pleased with the turnout as well as the participation," said Keppler. "The information and dialogue was constructive, informative and useful."

He said the people he spoke with after the conference all said they were returning home with something useful that they could apply in their own jobs.