NEW ORLEANS Motorcoach companies in New Orleans that were knocked out of business by Hurricane Katrina continue to struggle to get back on the road two months after the devastating storm.

While some of the operators are finding work shuttling emergency cleanup and repair crews and offering very limited charter and tour services, others remain idle, still looking for things to begin turning around.

"Were just taking it one day at a time and waiting for things to fall back into place," says Barbara Lewis of Lewis Coaches.

She and her husband, Harold, managed to escape from the storm safely, but lost their home, business offices and one of their two motorcoaches in the flooding that devastated much of the city.

They set up an office in the home of their son in La Place, just outside of New Orleans, and arranged to have their business telephone calls automatically transferred to their temporary quarters. However, the only work theyve been able to get has been shuttling work crews between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

"Its been very difficult for everyone," explains Mrs. Lewis, adding they would like to return the business to New Orleans as soon as possible. "We just have to be patient."

New Orleans Tours
New Orleans Tours, one of the areas largest carriers, lost about 20 buses and other vehicles in the storm and its offices and yard were damaged by flood waters. Still, it was back in business just days after the storm passed, setting up a temporary office near the New Orleans airport.

Although very little charter work has come in since, the company has kept about 20 buses on the road daily transporting emergency work crews, reports spokesman Bob Burg.

The company also holds the contract for the Nokia Sugar Bowl college football game and is developing plans for the job even though the Jan. 2 game has been transferred to Atlanta from New Orleans. "Well be working with companies in Atlanta now," says Burg.

The company also is working with several colleges in the area in preparation for bidding on campus shuttle work they will need when they reopen in January.

"But we havent seen any sightseeing business, yet, because most of the people here right now are not tourists," Burg explains.

Hotard Coaches
Hotard Coaches, which lost 20 of its 74 buses and had its offices and yard damaged, stayed in business just about the entire time, says Roger Hiatt, contract manager. The company moved its operations into a hotel for several weeks immediately after the storm and now is working out of an office trailer that it moved onto its yard.

Hiatt said Hotard has kept busy shuttling cleanup and repair crews around the area and transporting office workers who are temporarily living outside the city to their jobs in the city. In addition, he said the company has been working some charters that were booked before the storm. "Were hanging in there," he says.

Gray Line Tours
Gray Line Tours of New Orleans, which leases coaches from Hotard, a half owner of the tour company, is back in business after being shut down for several weeks following the storm, according to manager Greg Hoffman. But, he notes, the demand for tours has not yet returned.

"Weve tried to start up with a few tours but have not been very successful," he explains, adding that few tourists are in town and most of the hotels in the city are filled with relief workers involved in cleanup and repair efforts.

Hoffman says hes shooting for business to pick up after Jan. 1, the date the city has targeted for it to begin welcoming tourists back to the city. "Well be ready to go when the city is ready and the demand is here," he adds. "Were chomping at the bit right now."

Meantime, he says the company could draw some tour business from the relief workers and their families. "Even they need a day off here and there, and were hearing that some of their spouses are starting to come in on the weekends," he says.

Starcoach
Henry Smith, owner of Starcoach Inc., was among the lucky operators. Although his company suffered some minor damage, none of his eight buses was damaged and he had his tour buses back on the road after the storm.

He did some evacuation work early on and now is helping shuttle work crews. However, hes also taking foreign visitors on music tours to Nashville and Memphis under a seven-month contract he has with a tour company in England. "It had been a three-city tour with jazz, blues and country music, but we had to drop New Orleans from the loop," he explains.

In addition, Starcoach is back running area residents and visitors to casinos in Marksville three hours northwest of New Orleans and Charenton 2 .5 hours southwest of the city. "The minute things started clearing up, the die-hard casino people were back at it," says Smith.

He hasnt had any difficulty finding drivers and his regular employees stuck with him during the down time and now are all back on the job. "Even though some of them lost their homes, theyre here," he says. "I have some very fine people working for me."

Causey Bus Service
Causey Bus Service owner Bill Causey got a lift from another motorcoach company Collier Tours in Baton Rouge after he lost his home, his office and seven of his 10 coaches.

Collier gave Causey office space and is handling any overflow business of its own by leasing Causeys remaining buses. "Weve had a relationship with them for a long time and we were very glad to help out," said Rick Washington, a Collier spokesman.

Causey says he picked up a small amount of shuttle work from the federal government but has had no other business since the storm. "We just dont have anything going on in New Orleans right now," he says.

Meantime, he stresses hes grateful for the help from Collier, but is eager to get back to New Orleans and restart his business. "Were hoping to get back there as soon as we can."