June 2009 Entries

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to push for the motorcoach industry to add seat belts to protect passengers. In Australia, seat belts have been required in motorcoaches since 1994, while the European Union has made them mandatory since 1997. Texas will be the first in the U.S. to require seat belts on all tour buses chartered for school trips starting in 2011.

The public transportation industry is awakening to a new outlook on their future role in transit. Instead of making a wish list of capital plans, dreams are becoming realities. Transit is being urged to speed up plans for expanding facilities and buying new buses and equipment to meet the new growing demand.

With gas prices fluctuating so much over the last year and expected to only increase, it is no wonder that the auto industry has suffered. Add to that, the current recession, an increased focus on the environment and a newfound love for public transit, and you begin to wonder whether the auto industry will ever recover.

Much attention is being paid to workforce development by the transit industry. APTA has put together a blue ribbon task force to study the issues and make recommendations. The association's business members are being encouraged to participate in the study.