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The American Bus Association (ABA) recently released a statement after President Trump signed the latest Congressional funding aid package, which added more funds to the already depleted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This bridge package, specifically aimed at small businesses, has been nicknamed CARES Act 3.5 by many, as the country awaits discussions of the next major stimulus on the level of the CARES Act.
“As we expected the original money earmarked for the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program ran out quickly and the government has to replenish it to help small businesses," said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso. "We support this legislation and every bit the government does to help businesses stay afloat during these dark times. However, we also know that whatever money was put in to replenish has already been spent as the program was over-subscribed with small businesses in desperate need of help. Unfortunately, adding more money to this program still does not help the private motorcoach industry or all of the group travel industry. The motorcoach industry needs $15 billion in grants and loans to ensure that our 3,000 independent, family-owned businesses survive this pandemic until Americans can travel again."
The aid package negotiated by congressional leaders and the administration would increase spending by about $483 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office. The latest aid package includes $321.3 billion in additional appropriations to support PPP, which the bill would modify to set some funds aside to support loans issued by smaller lenders; and $60 billion for separate disaster loans to small businesses.
ABA President Peter Pantuso
The measure omits additional funding sought to support states and cities, and it does not change the eligibility rules for businesses to receive loans under PPP, which leaves many small businesses out of the loop.
The ABA is requesting $15 billion in loans and grants from Congress to ensure an essential sector in America's transportation stays afloat during this pandemic. In the third package, Congress meted out $100 billion for other transportation sectors such as the airlines, airports, Amtrak, and public transit but left out the motorcoach industry. Pantuso noted that if this industry fails, it will have devastating to consequences to the millions of Americans who rely on it to go to work, visit family, go on vacations, evacuate them when natural disasters strike, and move the military.
“We look forward to working with Congress on the fourth package to ensure our businesses will be there when America can start working and traveling again,” said Pantuso.
However, there is good news. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) requested Department of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell consider providing at least $5 billion in loans to over-the-road bus carriers under a program recently enacted by the CARES Act. The Economic Stabilization and Assistance to Severely Distressed Sectors of the U.S. Economy program allocates $454 billion to help struggling companies, such as those in the motorcoach industry.
“The motorcoach industry is not only an important part of the nation’s transportation network, it is also an important part of the economy, providing over 88,000 good-paying full-time equivalent jobs,” Neal and DeFazio wrote in the letter, which can be viewed here.
Pantuso applauded the chairmen for their efforts. “These chairmen are taking extraordinary steps to ensure the viability of a key mode of transportation mode that was overlooked in prior relief bills,” he said.
Visit buses.org for more information about ABA and COVID-19 resources for motorcoach operators.
[04.24.20]
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The Minority Limousine Operators of America (MLOA) held another weekly conference call on Wednesday, April 22, to touch base with their membership and share best practices during the COVID-19 crisis. First Vice President Travis Latham of Fellowship Fleet served as host for this week’s call, and kicked things off by providing an update about the second round of stimulus that was in legislation (which was signed into law on April 24).
MLOA 1st Vice President Travis Latham of Fellowship Fleet
Latham then introduced Tiffany Hinton of MOTEV and Reginald Tymus of Capital City Limousine, both of whom serve on the MLOA’s membership committee. After thanking members for their consistent support of the weekly meetings, the pair also revealed future plans for the association to hold small regional meetings throughout the year.
Dan Goff of A. Goff Motorcoaches
Next, guest speaker Dan Goff of A. Goff Motorcoaches offered insight on social distancing and cleaning buses. As the industry ponders the future business needs of its customers, Goff believes it will be less about luxury and more about safety and trust. The veteran operator also shared the grim statistic that more than 100 bus captains have died from COVID-19, which only stresses the importance of having a strict procedure in place for cleaning and distancing.
Goff fielded a series of questions from the members including maximum seating on motorcoaches, pricing during the crisis, and cleaning frequency. He encouraged operators to check on the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines at least weekly as scientists learn more about the virus every day. Goff created an information sheet with best practices available for download here.
MLOA Founder Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global was the next speaker on the call, sharing a bit of advice on “getting business when there is no business.” Brewster advised all members to contact state and federal FEMA representatives about providing transportation, as that government agency is in need of service nationwide. After applying online at sam.gov to provide government work, Brewster found himself fast-tracked to get a contract. He stated that the government is actively seeking minority-certified vendors, and they are paying “top dollar” for transportation services.
The next MLOA conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, at 1 pm ET. Recordings of past calls and resources for operators can be found here.
Visit mlooa.org for more information.
[4.24.20]
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With the travel industry on hiatus, ABC Companies has turned its focus to shaping solutions that navigate the “how” of operating in this new reality. Putting effective safeguards and protocols in place designed to ensure the comfort and security of drivers and passengers will be paramount in the post-COVID environment. With the introduction of its new CLEANS (Contact Limitation & Eradication of Airborne Noxious Systems) program, ABC offers fleet owners a variety of products and services designed to thoroughly disinfect coaches and optimize cabin air quality while providing driver and passenger shielding and personal hygiene stations onboard fleet vehicles.
“As the economy restarts, demonstrating how operators can protect drivers and passengers will be a top priority in restoring traveler confidence,” says Vice President of Marketing Thom Peebles. “The new CLEANS suite of products and services gives fleet owners the tools to think ahead and begin planning to move as quickly as possible when health professionals give us the green light to get rolling.”
ABC says that its new CLEANS suite offers a variety of options that can work with the widest possible range of coach brands and models currently in service, as well as new Van Hool equipment.
“The immediacy of addressing customer needs and issues cannot be understated,” says President and CCO Roman Cornell. “Our focus is on creating viable solutions that can be easily adapted, installed, and removed, but most importantly, are ready to go now. Ultimately, we want to get passengers onto our customers’ coaches as quickly as possible, and creating an environment they feel comfortable traveling in is key.”
Most of the CLEANS suite of products can be retrofit on existing equipment (most major brands) or specified on new Van Hool motorcoach orders and include the following product and service categories:
Interior Sanitization/Disinfection
- Electrostatic fogging with solutions also used in commercial airlines providing up to a 99.994 percent reduction in Virus Control including the Human Coronavirus
- Fogging service conducted by ABC on-site or at a customer location
- Disinfectant electrostatic fogger units will also be available later through ABC
HVAC Purification Systems
- MERV 13 rated cabin filters capable of capturing particles between 1 and 5 micrometers and smaller
- UV light HVAC disinfection system which eliminates 90 percent of microbial contaminants after 10 minutes of exposure and 99 percent after 1 hour
- Factory-installed HEPA filtration system that can capture 99.9 percent of particles (bacteria, fungi, and larger viruses or virus clumps)
Passenger & Driver Contact Partitions & Personal Hygiene Stations
- Driver partitions ranging from full enclosures to temporary clear protective barriers
- Passenger protection shields including permanently mounted clear partitions and removable temporary shields
- Hand sanitizer stations that can be mounted at multiple locations
According to ABC, the branded CLEANS program will continue to grow as new products are added to the portfolio based on emerging technologies and customer needs. With decals, seals, and videos designed to remind drivers and passengers of their carriers’ commitment to their well-being, motorcoach operators can focus on getting passengers back on board.
“We are eager to help get our industry rolling again and believe that our CLEANS initiatives can provide a much-needed level of confidence for passengers, drivers and owners that can get us all moving in the right direction again,” said CEO Dane Cornell.
ABC CLEANS products are arriving at ABC locations now, many of which can be found in the Parts Source online parts store. For more additional details and pricing, contact an ABC account manager.
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
[04.23.20]