Transportation takes many forms, from commercial passenger airlines to train and mag-lev trains to taxis to buses. Buses, in particular, are standing out as one of the most reliable, efficient, environmentally friendly, and convenient modes of transport today, often for groups of tourists or people going on vacations or commuting from one urban center to another. Bus charter services are available for any group looking for a motorcoach for rent, and any rental bus, small charter buses, or other local bus services can make travel easy and affordable for nearly anyone. Bus travel has come a long way since the horse-drawn models and steam-powered buses of early 19th century England, and now, buses are technological marvels for ground based transport.
Who is Riding the Bus?
Plenty of people call upon buses, whether for bus chartering services or just looking for a one-time ride. There are plenty of places where these people can find bus charter services and commutes: it is believed that there are about five times as many motorcoach terminals across the United States as airports, and six times as many bus terminals as intercity rail terminals. For about 14 million rural Americans, in fact, motorcoaches are the only real method of public intercity transportation, especially since these vehicles go where railroads and airplanes do not. Long-term bus trips are slightly favored by women; they take 55% of these trips, with men taking the remaining 45%, showing that bus charter services are highly popular among women. The American Bus Association undertook a recent study and found that American bus travel increased 7.5% between 2011 and 2012, which made it the fastest growing mode of transportation for the time. Also, among bus riders, students and senior citizens together made up 50.2% of passengers in 2012, while adults and young adults accounted for the remaining 49.9%.
Business and Cleaner Air
Motorcoaches and bus charter services have proven a large and popular industry, being made up of 3,400 businesses, most of them small, with a total fleet size of 33,400 vehicles that can act as tourist buses, airport shuttles, and more. Every year, all these buses and motorcoaches are moving 751 million passenger trips every year, which is more than some commercial airlines can manage.
These vehicles are also fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. Just one bus or motorcoach at full capacity effectively removes 55 cars from the road, which can also ease congestion. These vehicles are fuel efficient in their own right, since they generate 206.6 passenger miles per gallon of fuel. By contrast, an average car will generate only 27.2 passenger miles per gallon, and other methods of public transportation also achieve less efficiency than motorcoaches. In fact, it is believed that motorcoaches are three times more efficient at removing CO2 from the air than commuter rail.
Tourism and Buses
Bus charter services are integral to any area’s tourism industry, since these vehicles can conveniently carry a whole group of tourists in just one vehicle and go nearly anywhere on land. Aside from that, motorcoaches are highly profitable for local economies and tourism trade. In particular, to speak of averages, one motorcoach can generate up to $11,600 in a local economy due to the tourist passengers’ spending on lodging, restaurants and cafes, attractions, souvenirs, and more. More broadly, it is estimated that motorcoach travelers and tourist demand will generate around $55 billion every year in economic transactions, so as a whole, motorcoaches and bus charter services can act as the central anchor for any local tourist economy such as beaches, historic areas, and festive towns anywhere in the U.S. or abroad.
