MR. CHAIRMAN, AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE,
MY NAME IS DAN DIPERT.
I AM PRESIDENT AND OWNER OF DAN DIPERT TOURS, THE LARGEST
INDEPENDENT OPERATOR OF MOTORCOACH TOURS IN TEXAS. IN ADDITION,
I AM A BUS OWNER. THIS YEAR I AM SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE
NATIONAL TOUR ASSOCIATION (NTA). THIS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTS
THE GROUP TOUR INDUSTRY IN AMERICA, WITH MORE THAN 3,500 MEMBERS.
EQUAL ACCESS FOR ALL DISABLED AMERICANS IS A GOAL THAT HAS BEEN
EMBRACED AND PRACTICED BY NTA MEMBERS FOR MANY YEARS. TODAY I
REAFFIRM NTA'S COMMITMENT TO THIS GOAL AS EMBODIED IN H.R. 2273.
FURTHER, I WILL SHARE SOME BASIC QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS WITH THE
MANDATES CONTAINED IN S. 933, AS PASSED BY THE U.S. SENATE.
BEFORE I DO, HOWEVER, LET ME PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OUTLINE INSIGHT
INTO OUR ASSOCIATION. NTA'S BACKBONE IS 550 TOUR OPERATORS WHO
DEVELOP, PACKAGE AND SELL GROUP TOURS TO DESTINATIONS IN THE
UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND OTHER LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
WE ALSO REPRESENT 2,500 TOUR SUPPLIERS: HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, MOTOR-
COACH COMPANIES AND AIRLINES. WE ALSO REPRESENT DESTINATION MARKETING
ORGANIZATIONS, WHOSE MEMBERS REPRESENT LOCAL, REGIONAL, STATE AND
PROVINCIAL TRAVEL PROMOTION OFFICES. BECAUSE OUR UNIQUE STRUCTURE
COVERS EVERY FACET OF GROUP TRAVEL. NTA IS CERTAINLY IN PART, A
SPOKESMAN FOR THE ENTIRE TOUR AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY.
THIS SUMMER THE NTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS REAFFIRMED OUR TRADITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN TO EQUAL ACCESS TO ALL FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. H.R. 2273 IMPLEMENTS THE LAUDABLE ASPIRA
TIONS OF INTEGRATING AMERICA'S DISABLED INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF AMERICAN
LIFE AND SOCIETY. HOWEVER, OUR ASSOCIATION WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT HAVE
SOME BASIC QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT SOME TRANSPORTATION PROVISIONS OF THE
LEGISLATION THAT COULD PRODUCE EXTREME FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND POSSIBLY LEAD
TO THE TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO THOUSANDS OF RURAL TRAVELERS AND HUNDREDS
OF RURAL COMMUNITIES.
TOUR OPERATORS AND COACH OPERATORS HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS TO
ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF THE DISABLED WHEN ASKED TO TRAVEL BY MOTORCOACH -
OFTEN FAR AND ABOVE THE DEMONSTRATED NEED. WE, HOWEVER, KNOW FROM OUR
EXPERIENCE THAT, FOR OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO SURVIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE,
WE MUST BE VERY EFFICIENT MANAGERS OF THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES. THIS LEGISLATION,
IF IMPLEMENTED, WILL PLACE AN UNFAIR BURDEN OF ECONOMIC COMPLIANCE UPON THE
OBVIOUSLY LIMITED CAPITAL OF THE NATION'S PRIVATE BUS OWNERS THAT SUPPLY
THE MOTORCOACHES FOR OUR ASSOCIATION'S OPERATORS. ONLY ONE-THIRD OF OUR
OPERATORS OWN THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT.
YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT "THERE SHOULD NOT BE A PRICE-TAG CONSIDERATION
WHEN INSTITUTING A BASIC CIVIL RIGHT." IN PRINCIPLE, THIS IS DESIRABLE;
IN FACT, THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH. IS THE PRICE OF COMPLIANCE REASONABLE?
INDUSTRY ESTIMATES SHOW THAT IT WILL TAKE BETWEEN $30,000 AND $50,000
TO INSTALL A LIFT AND RESTRUCTURE THE SEATS AND RESTROOMS ON BOARD A
MOTORCOACH. THESE FIGURES ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE REPORTED BY DEWER OFFICIALS,
WHO SAY THE AMOUNT IS CLOSER TO $8,000. DON'T COMPARE APPLES WITH ORANGES --
WHILE CITY BUSSES HAVE NO RESTROOMS AND NO BAGGAGE SPACES TO ALTER, WITH
SEATS FACING THE CENTER AISLE, MOTORCOACHES HAVE HUGE LUGGAGE BINS, FULLY
EQUIPPED RESTROOMS AND FORWARD-FACING SEATS. THE LIFT IN A CITY BUS MAY
RAISE A PASSENGER 18 INCHES FROM STREET LEVEL; IN A MOTORCOACH, A PASSENGER
MUST BE RAISED AS MUCH AS FIVE FEET TO CLEAR THE LEVEL OF THE BAGGAGE
COMPARTMENTS AND REACH OUR SEATS.
ALL THIS RESTRUCTURING COSTS US SEATING CAPACITY; WE WILL LOSE 15 TO 17 SEATS PER MOTORCOACH, LOWERING OUR REVENUES BY ONE-THIRD AND RAISING COSTS BY AT LEAST THAT MUCH.
THIS SPRING A STUDY WAS RELEASED BY THE LONG-TIME WASHINGTON, D.C., BASED
FIRM, ROBERT NATHAN AND ASSOCIATES. THEY FOUND, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MOTORCOACHI
AND INTERCITY BUSSES ARE THE LEAST SUPPORTED MODE OF TRANSPORTATION BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. FEDERAL SUBSIDIES TO THE AIRLINES TO SUPPORT AIR TRAVEL
AVERAGE 70 CENTS PER PASSENGER TRIP; AMTRAK RECEIVED A STAGGERING $33.45
PER PASSENGER TRIP! MEANWHILE, THE INTERCITY BUS SYSTEM RECEIVED A PALTRY
8 CENTS IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES PER PASSENGER TRIP.
THE TOUR INDUSTRY (IN THE FORM OF TOURS OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC) IS A LOW-MARGIN,
PEAK-PERIOD BUSINESS THAT DOES NOT OPERATE ON FIXED-SYSTEM ROUTES. THE
INDUSTRY AVERAGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS 9 PERCENT. THE SLIM MARGIN OF
PROFIT WOULD BE FURTHER REDUCED WHEN BUS OWNERS PASS ON COSTS OF MANDATED
LIFTS TO THE LEASING TOUR OPERATOR. THIS FACT, COUPLED WITH THE COMPETITION
THAT OUR OPERATORS FACE FROM THE NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY WHICH OFFERS DISCOUNTED
TOUR AND TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES, MEANS THAT EACH MONTH SOME OPERATORS IN
CERTAIN MARKETS ARE FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS.
THE TOUR INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS TRIED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE
DISABLED TRAVELER. WE WILL CONTINUE THAT EFFORT. I AM ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT
THAT ALL NTA OPERATORS ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SAME DEMAND-RESPONSE
TOUR FOR DISABLED PERSONS THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE ABLE-BODIED.
IN MOST CASES IT TAKES FROM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR TO PLAN, ORGANIZE AND
CONDUCT A TOUR. THAT TIMEFRAME WILL GIVE PRACTICALLY EVERY OPERATOR THE
ABILITY TO LEASE LIFT-EQUIPPED COACHES TO ACCOMMODATE REQUESTS FROM THE
DISABLED TRAVELER.
OUR OPERATORS ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO MEET THE EQUAL ACCESS MANDATE OF
H.R. 2273 AND S. 933.
IN MY 17 YEARS IN THE MOTORCOACH INDUSTRY, I HAVE PACKAGED AND PROMOTED
THOUSANDS OF TOURS ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA AND BEYOND, AND IN ALL OF THOSE
YEARS, I HAVE HAD ONLY 15 REQUESTS FOR SERVICE TO DISABLED CUSTOMERS.
IF I HAD BEEN REQUIRED TO COMPLETELY RE-EQUIP MY MOTORCOACHES WITH
EXPENSIVE AND UNUSED LIFTS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY YET BE DETERMINED
BY THIS BILL, RESULTING IN FEWER SEATS TO SELL TO MY CUSTOMERS, THEN I MIGHT
NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REMAIN IN BUSINESS LONG ENOUGH TO TESTIFY TO YOU
TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY TO
EXPRESS THE CONCERNS OF OUR INDUSTRY.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PETER PAN BUS LINE!
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA, CHAIRMAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1989
2167 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
American Bus Association
1015 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 842-1645
|
