Travelers looking for fuel economy can park
their cars, cash in their airline tickets and get off the train
because the bus has them all beat, according to the American Bus
Association.
A recent ABA report,
based on data for 2004 (the latest available), puts the mileage for
the typical over-the-road bus at 148.4 passenger miles per gallon,
or double the 74.1 figure turned in by passenger trains.
At the low end, air
travel edged out the family car, 40.9 passenger miles per gallon to
35.4. (If that's a lot more than you're accustomed to getting in
your SUV, it's because the calculation is based on passenger miles,
not vehicle miles.)
The ABA,
understandably, highlighted the relative fuel efficiency of buses
and motorcoaches in a report by Nathan Associates that deals
broadly with the industry's structure and its contribution to the
economy.
According to the
report, "Impacts of the Motorcoach Industry on Society and the
Economy," the motorcoach industry transports 631 million people a
year, generating direct and indirect consumer spending of $44.2
billion. The total effect on employment is the generation of
758,000 jobs.
The ABA also likes to
point out that despite the presence of national brands such as
Greyhound and Coach USA, the industry is still a haven for small
businesses, most of which operate regionally. Nearly 75% of all
operators have fewer than 10 coaches, and only 3.5% have 50 or
more.
And, by far, most of
what they do involves charters, tours and other contract services,
such as airport shuttle or commuter operations. Traditional,
scheduled, intercity or fixed-route operations account for 27.4% of
industry vehicle miles. Also, only 20% of motorcoach operators
offer scheduled route service.