The American Bus Association (ABA) announced the creation of the African American Motorcoach Council (AAMC), which joins the other networking and business Councils that are a part of ABA.

“ABA created the African American Motorcoach Council after identifying a need among our black-owned motorcoach operator members to have a concentrated, unified voice and lobby on behalf of their businesses,” said Peter Pantuso, president & CEO of the ABA. “While the entire motorcoach industry has been devastated by the COVID pandemic, some sectors and businesses have been hit harder than others. We wanted to give these companies another opportunity to come together within the ABA member community like we have with the Women in Buses and Hispanic Motorcoach Councils and present a united front to help secure additional funding for other motorcoach operators and for the industry.”

The main priority of the AAMC, which is being led by Clarence Cox of Georgia Coach Lines in Fayetteville, Ga., will be to help ABA in lobbying for more federal government funding for the motorcoach industry, especially on behalf of small, family-owned minority businesses.

Members of the AAMC are already up and running contacting members of the Congressional Black Caucus in support of the industry’s grassroots initiatives and educating them about the motorcoach industry. The first official meeting of the AAMC will be held virtually at a future date and in person at ABA’s Marketplace in Grapevine, Texas, Jan. 8 to 11.

Anyone interested in participating in the AAMC should reach out to ABA’s Membership Team as membership@buses.org or call 202-218-7234.