Environmental Stewardship Earns Coach USA Prestigious Award at Industry Event
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The company that reinvented intercity travel with the launch of megabus.com in 2006 is also raising the bar on environmental programs within their organization and in consumer awareness programs. Coach USA, one of the largest motor coach transportation companies in North America, was awarded United Motorcoach Association's (UMA) Green Highway Award at UMA EXPO 2012 in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, Feb. 10, at a ceremony attended by motor coach company owners, operators and industry suppliers.
The Green Highway Award, established in 2008 and sponsored by Motor Coach Industries (MCI), the largest builder of intercity coaches in the U.S. and Canada, recognizes companies that demonstrate organizational leadership in reducing carbon emissions.
Coach USA was honored for its green achievements that extend from its dedication to fuel conservation and idling reduction policies to its maintenance procedures, recycling programs and facilities management.
Coach USA continues to update its fleet with newer coaches featuring the latest clean-diesel engine technology and emitting near zero emissions. The company is also testing new technologies that offer four- to-six-percent reductions in fuel usage, and it equips its fleet of 1,642 coaches and buses with GPS systems that trigger alerts through the company's command center when idle-times are exceeded.
Through its parent company, Stagecoach Group, Coach USA has a five-year plan to reduce its carbon footprint. Stagecoach Group has already exceeded its aim to reduce emission by 15 percent within the first three years of that plan.
Coach USA's organization-wide environmental efforts include upgrading its facilities with energy-saving lighting fixtures and adding LED lights at its parking lots, moves that are furthering its already impressive 20-percent reduction in energy usage.
Yet, chief among Coach USA's environmental achievements is its marketing message to consumers. Coach USA explains, via its website and in communications, how motor coaches, when filled to capacity, are on average seven times more energy-efficient than single-occupancy automobiles, releasing the least carbon dioxide per passenger mile when compared to any other mode of transportation. At its megabus.com subsidiary, ridership has steadily increased at a rate of 38 percent year over year.
"We're committed to furthering our environmental practices and educating the public on motor coach travel as a 'green' and affordable alternative to automobiles and airplane travel," said Dale Moser, President of Coach USA. "We're honored to receive this year's Green Highway Award."
"We congratulate Coach USA on its accomplishments," said Patricia Ziska, MCI Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The efforts of Coach USA and megabus.com benefit the entire industry and the visibility of motor coach travel as the greenest way to go."
About Coach USA
Coach USA owns more than 20 local companies in the Northeast and North Central regions of the United States and Canada, and operates tours, charters, sightseeing tours and scheduled bus routes. Coach USA is a subsidiary of Scottish-based Stagecoach Group, one of the world's largest bus, coach and rail groups with operations in the United Kingdom and North America. Visit www.coachusa.com for more information.
About MCI
Motor Coach Industries (MCI), based in Schaumburg, Ill., is the leading manufacturer of intercity coaches in the U.S. and Canada. Reliability driven, MCI builds expertly engineered, best-selling models for the tour, charter, line-haul, commuter and transit markets. MCI also offers 24-hour technical support, industry-leading technician training and the most extensive aftermarket parts and repair service. Visit www.mcicoach.com to learn more.
SOURCE Motor Coach Industries
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