Rockland County Legislator Joel Friedman is calling on Coach USA to ensure that local residents who commute to and from New York City, New Jersey, and other areas are not left without bus service due to the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
Legislator Friedman, who chairs the County Legislature’s Special Committee on Transit, expressed concern about the company’s intentions as many Rockland commuters are heavily dependent on Coach USA’s services.
“For decades, Rockland commuters have relied on Coach USA to get to work and back home, but now we are learning that the company has filed for bankruptcy and plans to sell its Rockland Coaches and Shortline bus services to a new owner,” Legislator Friedman stated. “Any interruption in service could be disastrous for Rockland commuters who have almost no other way to get to work.”
He emphasized the critical role of bus services for local commuters, noting that Rockland County still lacks a one-seat train ride into Manhattan.
On June 11, Coach USA announced it had filed voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to “facilitate sale processes to preserve jobs, ensure continued service, and maximize the value of its businesses.”
The company has entered into asset purchase agreements with Bus Company Holdings US, an affiliate of the Renco Group, Inc., for certain bus lines, including Rockland and Shortline, along with 10 additional lines, and with another company for four lines. Coach USA is also seeking to sell the remainder of its businesses.
“Sadly, it appears we are witnessing the end of Coach USA,” Legislator Friedman remarked. “They have a duty to ensure all services are maintained until – and if – these sales actually occur. Rockland commuters have been loyal customers to Coach, and Coach has relied on them in return.”
Coach USA attributes its financial struggles to a drop in ridership that has not rebounded since the pandemic.
Legislator Friedman warned that any reduction in bus service might prompt some commuters to stop traveling into Manhattan altogether, further diminishing revenues for the bus company and exacerbating the challenges faced by New York City due to fewer workers returning to their offices since the pandemic.
“Coach needs to provide a plan for maintaining bus service before they can walk away from this essential mass transit function,” Legislator Friedman insisted.
They don’t have to do anything or owe anybody anything. They were a private business providing service to the general public. Government always wants control of the situation but expect the small business to figure out the chaos they created. How about they take all those millions of dollars in tax revenue they’ve collected over the years and just make a city run bus company? Too complicated? Too expensive? Then what do you expect from a small business whose literally closing down because the economy sucks. They were in business to make a profit, not to replace a broken mass transit system or to bail NYC out of job losses.
While what you’re saying is 100% true, it is very possible, because they are in the business that they are, they might fall under interstate Commerce commission rules etc and therefore it may not be as simple as one would think. But as far as the rest of what you said, that the economy stinks, and that they are losing money hand over fist, that is a true statement.
Excellent comment
Important service run by a crap private company. They had terrible commitment and communication to its Commuters. Way behind the times for years. Sad to see this happen. Rockland needed the train over the Cuomo bridge to midtown.
They provide a service and we must do all that we can to keep the buses running to and from NY City.