Greyhound to support federal bus safety mandates

[IMAGE]MCI-Greyhound-6.jpg[/IMAGE]WASHINGTON, D.C. — Greyhound will support U.S. Senate legislation for motorcoach safety, which includes mandates for seat belts and stronger roofs to reduce rollover fatalities, Bloomberg reported. Company CEO David Leach made the announcement today at a news conference in Washington.

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Congressman Bill Shuster's Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety (BUSES) Act of 2011 calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after research and testing, to promulgate rules to improve vehicle crashworthiness through seat belts, enhanced roof and window strength, enhanced emergency egress and fire prevention standards.

In addition, the BUSES Act of 2011:

• Establishes minimum training requirements for drivers seeking a commercial driver's license (CDL) with a passenger endorsement.

• Encourages the USDOT to review each States' current requirements for earning a CDL with a passenger endorsement.

• Improves oversight of the health of CDL drivers and CDL medical certificates, and

• Seeks to root out bad actors by requiring the USDOT to register only those operators willing and able to comply with all federal regulations.

"Greyhound fully supports Congressman Shuster's proposals to hold motorcoach carriers to a higher standard when providing transportation services to the public," said Dave Leach, president and CEO, Greyhound Lines. "The safety and security of our 19.8 million passengers is our core value and a responsibility we take very seriously. We support and will implement any regulations that provide passengers with even safer forms of transportation."

Greyhound, a division of FirstGroup America, is the largest provider of surface transportation services in North America. Greyhound employs 7,900 people and operates 2,200 buses throughout North America. The company provides its drivers with stringent safety and driver training throughout their career and has been nationally recognized for their efforts to improve safety by equipping all new motorcoaches with seatbelts, said a company statement.