WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Senate passage of HR 3985, a bill that requires federal regulators to revoke licenses of commercial bus companies that fail to live up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the below statement is offered by Edward Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO:
“For too long, many “curbside” bus companies have been allowed to evade their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act while established carriers, such as Greyhound, follow these rules. Congress has made clear that complying with ADA rules is not optional, and that any bus company operating in the U.S. must be prepared to live up to the law. We applaud this action. Curbside buses should not be able rely on a business model of cutting costs by avoiding safety, environmental, and disability regulations. While H.R. 3985 does not address all problems presented by curbside buses, we hope it will reinforce the legal and ethical standards all companies must meet in order to open doors and opportunities to people with disabilities.
“We look forward to the President signing this bill into law. We also look forward to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration living up to its responsibility to enforce the laws on the books.”
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The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, represents 32 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit www.ttd.org.
