Motorcoach Council’s new ad campaign and public service announcements educate travelers about environmental benefits of group travel using a motorcoach (charter bus)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 25, 2010 --

In an age where terms like ‘carbon footprint reduction’ and ‘lower passenger miles per gallon’ have become the metric for eco-friendly transportation, the Motorcoach Council’s new “Get Motorcoachified” public awareness campaign is timely, and will help consumers realize not only the technological advances, but the ‘green benefits’ of today’s motorcoach – a deluxe charter bus – used for group travel. The coach is a mode of transportation that suffers an identity crisis and is often overlooked, although it outperforms all other modes of transportation in terms of fuel economy, reduced emissions, and alleviating surface congestion. On U.S. soil, the motorcoach lacks the acceptance it enjoys abroad, primarily due to public misperceptions and lack of advertising.

“The Council’s research and polls suggest that North Americans do not realize the technological advances our industry has made in the last decade,” said Heather Horton, Executive Director for the Motorcoach Council, “Newer coaches using ‘clean diesel’ offer significant air quality improvement and in some cities, the exhaust coming out of the tailpipes is actually cleaner than the air that went in. Coaches are a solution to so many of our nation's issues, including safety, fiscal responsibility, eliminating or, at least, decreasing traffic congestion and preserving our planet," added Horton.

In the US, the bus is the least CO2 emitting transportation option, with trains coming out at about double the emissions. Studies prove that taking a motorcoach for long distances yields the lowest emissions of all public transit methods. From New York to San Francisco, St Louis or Washington, DC, the emissions are about 1.7 times those of packing a hybrid car to the maximum.

In terms of fuel economy, the coach also proves to be the greenest mode of transportation above all others, even the hybrid car that claims 50 mpg. The average load factor for a coach is 36.4 passengers (combining tour, charter, sightseeing buses and fixed route coaches), therefore just 10 people aboard a motorcoach would be more efficient that one person in the hybrid car based on fuel consumption. Motorcoaches currently provide over 206 passenger MPG of fuel compared to 92 passenger MPG for commuter rail, 44 passenger MPG for domestic air carrier, and 27 MPG for single passenger automobiles.

Coaches are the most environmentally friendly way to travel, regardless of the group size. Campaign research shows that CO2 emissions are reduced by an average of 85% per passenger mile for every person who chooses motorcoach travel instead of driving alone. A couple boarding a motorcoach will cut their carbon nearly in half compared with driving even a hybrid car. And if they take the motorcoach rather than flying, they will cut their emissions by 55 to 75 percent, depending on the distance they travel,” the Union of Concerned Scientists wrote in its report “Getting There Greener: The Guide To Your Lower Carbon Vacation.”

Through their campaign, the Motorcoach Council aims to shift perception of the motorcoach, increase ridership and create a demand for their industry’s services once consumers accept the motorcoach as a ultra-green, incredibly convenient, safe, fun and cost-effective way to the travel comfortably. By educating the populace that the modern motorcoach is an environmental solution and no longer the enemy on the road, there is hope that the negative impact caused by car and van vacation travel can be stopped and eventually reversed. One full coach has the ability to remove 55 cars from the roadway. Multiply that times thousands of buses and motorcoaches and the positive impact on the environment is tremendous.

The Council is initially using their own fleet of campaign buses as ‘rolling billboards’ to advertise their educational messages. “Improving Our Air Outside. Get Motorcoachified” is just one of 35 campaign slogans traveling the nation on the sides of their campaign coaches.

The Motorcoach Council (www.MotorcoachCouncil.org) is an industry-wide initiative to promote public awareness of the availability, selection, usage and benefits of motorcoach transportation throughout North America. To learn more about the green aspects of motorcoach travel or to locate a motorcoach company near you, visit www.GetMotorcoachified.com.