Bus Industry Crippled by Pandemic; Hopes to Bounce Back by Mid-2021
CBS17 Raleigh
Nick Sturdivant
December 29, 2020
It’s a business that thrives on the road.
However, this year with COVID-19, the motor coach business has been stuck in park for the most the part.
“Our industry from the motor coach perspective we are only operating across the country at somewhere between 10 and 15 percent,” said Peter Pantuso, President and CEO of the American Bus Association.
Pantuso said it has been this way since March.
“The biggest piece of the industry in terms of overall numbers is the charter and tourism segment. Taking people and kids to Raleigh to see the state capitol to learn about history,” he explained
Pantuso said about 85,000 people, including drivers, across the industry have been laid off.
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The American Bus Association says without some sort of federal assistance, nearly half of the motorcade industry will be completely wiped out.
“We don’t see an opportunity to recover until at least the 3rd quarter of next year [2021],” Pantuso said.