New Roles for the Intercity Bus in North America: The Prospect for the Elderly and Disabled Travelers

The intercity bus industry plays an important role in long distance transportation for the non-driving public throughout North America. In the United States, the industry provides service to approximately 72 million riders each year at 11,000 locations nationwide. In Canada, roughly 27 million riders are served each year at 3,041 locations. Although demographic data are limited, the elderly represent a significant ridership group in some areas. Many bus riders are economically disadvantaged and have few transportation alternatives available. The special needs of intercity passengers have attracted the attention of policy makers in the US and Canada in recent years as a result of service cutbacks by bus carriers, and more recently, concern over the lack of wheelchair access. The service cutbacks reflect a long term decline in the profitability of bus services and a sustained period of discount airline competition, as well as the effects of regulatory reform. Following enactment of the U.S. Federal Bus Regulatory Reform Act (BRRA) of 1982, bus companies have been able to discontinue unprofitable services and apply their resources to charter operations instead. As a result, a substantial amount of scheduled bus service has been lost.