Former FMCSA Chief Hart to Lobby for Bus Assn.
The bus association is one of two major trade organizations representing the intercity bus industry. It claims more than 3000 members, who operate charter and tour buses, airport express services and travel and tourism organizations.
As vice president of government affairs, Hart, who also served as federal maritime administrator from 1998 until Jan. 20, will lobby Congress on a host of issues important to motor coach companies -- including drivers’ hours of service, bus safety and reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act.
ABA also announced that Linda Bauer Darr, former American Trucking Associations vice president of international affairs, will be ABA’s vice president for policy and external affairs.
e also served from 1980 to 1994 on the Interstate Commerce Commission as an attorney-adviser, special counsel and agency counsel.
Peter Pantuso, ABA’s president said, “Hart's experience as well as his years of U.S. government service will be invaluable in guiding the industry and ABA’s members through the labyrinth of government regulation and congressional initiatives.”
Hart took over as acting FMCSA administrator for Julie Cirillo last May. He guided that new agency through a difficult period, when it was getting criticism from all corners on a proposal that would have changed longstanding regulations on the amount of time bus and truck drivers can work.
Transportation officials in Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation and in the private sector applauded Hart for helping to abate the firestorm that came with the hours of service proposal.
He also won plaudits for getting the agency to focus on other priorities such as issuing overdue rules and hiring more inspectors, and for taking the reins of a fledgling agency struggling to get up and running.
About his appointment to ABA, Hart said he hoped “to continue working on some intermodal issues facing the country and to focus on transportation as a whole.”
