The task force will be led by ABA Chairman Don DeVivo of DATTCO, Inc. in New Britain, Conn., and ABA Board Member Terry Fischer of Transportation Charter Services in Orange, Calif. MCI/TCS

The American Bus Association (ABA) launched a new task force as it works to help members with the next steps of recovery after the COVID-19 crisis.

The task force will be led by ABA Chairman Don DeVivo of DATTCO, Inc. in New Britain, Conn., and ABA Board Member Terry Fischer of Transportation Charter Services in Orange, Calif., and will be comprised of motorcoach industry safety professionals. The task force will work with other transportation industry sectors on best practices to ensure the health and safety of employees and passengers.

"There will be a new norm for the motorcoach industry when the doors open again," said DeVivo. "Everyone will need to consider all safety implications post-COVID-19 to ensure the safety of our employees and passengers."

The task force will work to develop a path forward for not only the cleanliness of motorcoaches but also explore new methods and approaches that protect everyone on the bus to ensure that motorcoaches retain their essential role in a post-pandemic multimodal world.

"We expect the end product to be a guideline that all in the industry can follow," said Fischer. "Our customers and our employees are now hyper-sensitive to how quickly something can spread, and it is our duty to help mitigate that."