WASHINGTON Top officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be made aware of the motorcoach industrys continuing unhappiness over the decision to award bus security grants only to fixed-route operators, a high-ranking DHS official has promised.

Al Martinez-Fonts, special assistant to the Homeland Security secretary for the private sector, made the commitment during a meeting last month with members of the American Bus Association board of directors.

Martinez-Fonts told the ABA board he was aware the industry was disappointed with the departments decision on how to allocate bus security grants, adding that he would act as the industry liaison and make sure to represent the industry position to top officials at the department.

Last April, when the Department of Homeland Security announced it was awarding $9.66 million in bus security grants this year, it said the only companies eligible to apply would be fixed-route operators.

Tour-and-charter operators were specifically excluded.

The ABA and the United Motorcoach Association reacted to the announcement with outrage, saying it made little sense to shut out more than 95 percent of the industry from the program. (See May 15 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

Despite the criticism, the DHS staff has remained firm in its position, believing charters and tours pose little security risk since most individuals on board know one another or are part of the same organization that chartered the coach.

ABA and UMA argue that charter and tour buses, which carry millions of passengers annually and travel to destinations or to points of interest that are national icons, should also have access to grant money.

In other words, how smart is it to exclude tour buses when they park next to landmark memorials, buildings and gathering places in Washington and elsewhere?

Still, all 25 of the companies receiving fiscal 2005 grants are intercity operators.

DHS bus security grants are to be used by intercity carriers to protect drivers, implement passenger screening programs, construct or modify terminals, train employees, hire security personnel, and install video surveillance and communications equipment.