A-1 Limousine and its sister company Triangle Tours of Princeton will join hundreds of motorcoach companies from around the country for a rolling rally around the U.S. Capitol and National Mall in Washington, D.C. on May 13.
“Like many local small businesses, my operations have been absolutely devastated by the coronavirus. My buses sit idling while my employees remain at home. We all want to be back on the road, bringing people from point A to point B while serving our communities when it is safe again. Without help from the federal government, I fear our buses may never return to the road and our passengers will be stranded without access to the nation’s transportation system,” said Jeffrey Starr, president of A-1 Limousine, in a prepared statement. “I look forward to joining hundreds of my fellow motorcoach operators in Washington to showcase the strength in numbers of our industry and the positive benefits we provide to every community in America.”
Motorcoaches Rolling for Awareness is a joint event between the American Bus Association and United Motorcoach Association. Buses will be decorated with informative signs about the motorcoach industry including the groups they serve, the economic impact they make and the people they employ, according to the statement.
Motorcoach operators are seeking to remind members of Congress and the Trump administration that the industry – which has laid off or furloughed more than 90% of its workforce nationally in the wake of COVID-19 – needs federal assistance. The motorcoach industry has requested $15 billion in federal grants and loan guarantees and modifications to Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program, according to the statement.
USA Motorcoach Industry is comprised of nearly 3,000 companies, the majority of which are family owned, small businesses, according to the statement. There are roughly 100,000 owners, drivers, dispatchers, maintenance and repair, safety, cleaning crew, finance and administrative personnel employees. Nearly 36,000 buses are sitting idle instead of making nearly 600 million annual trips, which is in line with domestic airlines’ trips, according to the statement.
For more information, visit www.busesmoveamerica.com.
Founded in 1964, A-1 Limousine employs upwards of 200 employees. The company primarily serves the Tri-State Area but has a global network that allows them to arrange ground transportation for clients worldwide. They have remained open 24/7 throughout this crisis. A-1 Limousine is located at 2 Emmons Dr., Princeton. For more information, visit a1limo.com
Triangle Tours was founded in 2013, as a fully-operational tour bus company based in Princeton.