UPDATE
“ABA established a task force comprised of industry leaders
to develop peer-reviewed sample policies to share with the entire
industry,” said Peter Pantuso, president and CEO of ABA. “What our
task force put together should be a great help to the entire industry
when companies are creating their cleaning protocols. Showing
the public that our buses are clean and that companies have solid
safety and cleaning programs will help assure travelers that it is safe
to travel by motorcoach.”
The task force, co-chaired by ABA Chairman of the Board Don
DeVivo of DATTCO, Inc. in New Britain, Connecticut, and ABA Board
Member Terry Fischer of Transportation Charter Services in Orange,
California, focused on six main themes: Employee Care, Bus
Maintenance & Cleaning; Customer Care; Remote Travel Incidents;
Emergency Evacuations; and Communicating with the Public and
Partners about Clean Buses.
“The task force has created a comprehensive set of sample
policies for the industry to refer to,” Fischer said. “We looked at
various government and research recommendations, included
our partners and suppliers in discussions as well as what our
customers have shared with us since the pandemic on what they
need and are looking for from us to feel comfortable to travel again
by motorcoach. Safety has always been the industry’s number one
focus and cleanliness is a big part of that.”
The main message behind the guide is that the motorcoach
industry is ready to take travelers wherever they want to go in clean
buses. We are the safest and cleanest – both inside and for the
environment – mode of transportation.
“We want to assure the public that companies are cleaning and
disinfecting coaches during trips; filtering in fresh air throughout the
ride; our employees are trained in safety and cleanliness protocols
and there are protocols in place to protect passengers as much as
we can,” DeVivo said.
New Flyer to deploy first automated
heavy-duty transit bus in North America
New Flyer of America Inc. announced it will deploy North
America’s first automated heavy-duty transit bus with the
Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).
The automated driving demonstration project will include the
deployment of three 40-foot battery-electric, Xcelsior CHARGE ™
heavy-duty transit buses. The zero-emission deployment supports
CTDOT’s demonstration project, funded by the Federal Transit
Administration’s (FTA) Integrated Mobility Innovation (IMI) initiative,
which supports projects demonstrating innovative and effective
practices to enhance public transportation effectiveness, efficiency,
quality, safety and transit rider experience.
This marks the first time an automated heavy-duty transit
bus will be deployed in revenue service in North America. The
project team is led by the CTDOT and consists of New Flyer, New
Flyer’s technology partner Robotic Research, and the Center for
Transportation and Environment (CTE), a nonprofit with extensive
experience supporting FTA projects.
“This is an incredible moment for the advancement of automated
technology in public transit, and for the continued development
of safe, smart, sustainable, and connected mobility across
North America,” said Chris Stoddart, president at New Flyer.
“For decades, New Flyer has led the public transit industry with
innovative firsts. We are proud to work with CTDOT, Robotic
Research, and CTE — not only in demonstrating mobility solutions
for growing cities — but in showing the world that mitigating
climate change, improving safety, and advancing technology can
occur in harmony.”
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