UMA Advocates for Safest, Greenest Transportation in D.C.

More than 60 members and supporters of UMA attended the association’s annual Bus & Motorcoach Industry Legislative Fly-In event Washington, D.C. — The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) and 20 partner organizations took to the nation’s capital April 3 to not only advocate for maintaining motorcoaches’ partial fuel tax exemption but also to educate members of Congress on the vital role that private motorcoaches play in creating jobs, generating tourism dollars, and a providing safe, fuel efficient, and green solution to transportation and travel.

“With a new Congress in place, and new leadership in the House, the Bus & Motorcoach Industry Legislative Fly-In is an opportunity for bus and motorcoach operators to ensure that their priorities are known,” says UMA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “Meeting face-to-face in group settings, operators can share important facts and statistics that show the industry’s contribution to the economy and its status as the safest mode of transportation. And most important, they can tell their individual stories of local job creation and how regulations affect small businesses. Eighty-one percent of private bus and motorcoach operators nationwide own between one and nine coaches and each coach directly provides about 3.5 jobs. Bus and motorcoach businesses are small businesses that contribute to local economies. Moreover, buses and motorcoaches bring all these benefits to the economy while producing the smallest carbon footprint among 12 different modes of transportation when considering everything from air and rail travel to hybrid cars.”

The scheduled meetings allowed operators to meet with federal legislators and inform them about the role their businesses play in transportation in their district and state while also educating them about national concerns and issues like the partial fuel tax exemption. When the exemption started out, Congress granted motorcoaches a full exemption from the fuel tax; it has been eroded by subsequent Congresses, and operators are concerned it could potentially go away if enough legislators do not realize its value.

This year’s Bus & Motorcoach Industry Fly-In was supported by 20 partner organizations from around the country joining UMA in this advocacy effort. They included: Alabama Motorcoach Association, Asian American Motorcoach Association, Bus Association of New York, California Bus Association, Georgia Motorcoach Operators Association, Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association, Hawaii Transportation Association, International Motorcoach Group, Maryland Motorcoach Association, Midwest Bus & Motorcoach Association, Minnesota Charter Bus Operators Association, Motorcoach Association of South Carolina, National Association of Motorcoach Operators, New England Bus Association, North Carolina Motorcoach Association, Northwest Motorcoach Association, Pennsylvania Bus Association, South Central Motorcoach Association, Trailways Charter Bus Network, and Virginia Motorcoach Association.

Check out the May issue of Chauffeur Driven for expanded coverage of this annual lobbying event.

Visit uma.org for more information.

[CD0319]