You’re an expert on busing, by virtue of your experience in the bus industry. What are your thoughts on the Hartford-New Britain busway that is well along in the planning stages? Is Greater Hartford ready for something this revolutionary in transportation?
Probably not surprisingly, I am a great supporter of public transportation programs and of group travel in general. I support the Hartford-New Britain busway and look forward to the day when DATTCO commuter buses, which currently serve Cheshire, Southington and Bristol, can use the busway to get in and out of Hartford quickly and efficiently. Our highways are getting more and more congested. Corporations need to make it easier for people to commute to work by mass transportation. In order to get people to use mass transit we have to provide more frequency. Nobody wants to get “stuck” because they missed their ride. If people know there is another bus coming shortly they will be much more willing to use that option. It is almost an “if you build it they will come” mentality and it works in other parts of the world. The private sector may also need to step up and provide commuter and shuttle buses for their workers to get employees out of their cars.
I am not sure this is so revolutionary. In fact, I would argue that we have a long way to go to get back to the day when our cities had active trolley systems and expansive bus options. Many rode the trolley to and from work. The respective Main Streets were lined with buses and the sidewalks were packed with people getting on the local bus system. DATTCO’s routes ran on the properties of Emhart Corporation and North and Judd. DATTCO also provided many companies like Connecticut Spring and Southern New England Telephone with a private commuter transportation system. So, revolutionary, no, I don’t think so, but increased mass transportation is critical to reduce congestion and revitalize our cities.
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Intense pricing competition has come to the regular-run bus industry with alternative companies like Fung Wah and Megabus. Have these low-cost bus wars spilled over into the chartered bus business?
Many may not know this, but DATTCO is operating the Megabus service under contract to Coach USA from Boston to New York with stops in both directions in Hartford. The big blue double-decker coaches are operated by DATTCO drivers and managed by DATTCO personnel. While it is a great alternative to travel in the New York, Hartford, Boston corridor, I do not see much direct impact on the charter bus business.
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Your company has been in business for 85 years. Why has no alternative been developed to charter buses? You would think after all this time there would be a popular alternative, yet not seems to have been developed.
Although there have been a lot of improvements to the charter bus since the original jitney service, the charter bus has survived because it is the best way for groups to travel. We now operate double-decker coaches that can carry over 80 people. The buses have WiFi and in motion satellite TV and comfortable leather seats. People love to travel in groups — they have a great time just getting to their destination and even more fun when they get there. But if you really want to know what makes our service special, it is our drivers.
I was recently at Quinnipiac University and spoke to the men’s hockey and basketball coaches. Both asked about “their” driver. I ran into one of the hockey players working out in the gym. He asked for their driver by name. The drivers become part of the team and in some cases become the team’s good luck charm. The one thing the passengers remember about their trip is their driver. What other form of transportation can provide that experience? I think that is why the charter bus has stood the test of time.
