Doug Anderson says motor coaches are part of the solution

Good morning, or good afternoon, I should say.

Seems like morning since we started so early.

I am Doug Anderson, president of Anderson Coach and Travel in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and past chairman of the American Bus Association.

And I want to oppose number 11 and support 561.

Motor coaches are part of the solution, not the problem.

One motor coach gets dozens of cars, less traffic, fewer emissions, and less parking demand.

Federal safety rules often require idling for air brakes, accessibility lifts, passenger climates, and no driver should have to choose between city fines and federal safety.

Passenger safety and comfort is paramount in the charter bus industry.

The fine and compliant process is unreasonable.

As you've heard earlier, the time between getting fines or getting occurrences and actually getting notification of the occurrences sometimes is up to two years.

We suggest, I suggest, allocating a portion of the fine money to the DEP for staffing so that they could be much more efficient on this.

The economic impact of diminished motor coach tour into the New York City segment city limit.

We donated $12.7 billion in economic impact to the New York City area, 59,200 jobs and $5.9 billion in visitor spending every year.

We want to be partners.

We asked the committee to hold the

Introduction number 11, until the compliance process is fixed, enforce equality on public and private fleets.

Write federal safety exemptions clearly into the code and designate legal coach staging and layover spaces.

Motor coaches bring people to New York City safely and efficiently.

Let's help keep doing that.

Time has expired.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

I really appreciate your testimony.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm calling someone's name and I'm calling another name, but they're both the same.

I don't really understand it.

So I'm calling Michael McFadden and Chris Hartman.

Maybe it's a thing where one is using the other Zoom address or something.

I don't know.

But Michael McFadden.

Chris Hartman, happy to hear your good testimony.

You may begin.