NEW RULES: The issue of whether to add seatbelts to motorcoaches in the wake of deadly crashes seems to be coming to a head -- and with big headlines -- as the Department of Transportation issues new rules. . .
Peter Pantuso, president of the American Bus Association, was quoted in one media report: Requiring features such as seat belts, reinforced floors, roofs and windows and data recorders on buses may raise the cost of a motor coach more than 20 percent, Pantuso said. A new vehicle costs about $450,000, and the proposed requirements would add $75,000 to $100,000, he said. “That’s a very big cost difference in an industry where margins are very tight,” he said. “It certainly will have an impact on the industry, without question. But everybody’s got to be operating on a level playing field.”
The DOT measures are getting major coverage. News accounts:
BLOOMBERG NEWS
ABC NEWS
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Print | posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:30 AM