The effort to ban mask mandates on public transportation has gained steam in recent weeks, with another big supporter joining the fight. The American Bus Association (ABA) has come out in opposition to the mask mandates that many public transit systems have imposed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. The ABA is a trade organization of motorcoach, tour, travel and intercity bus companies.
ABA President & CEO Peter Pantusso issued a statement expressing the group’s concerns about a nationwide mandate on masks, insisting that such policies should be left up to the individual transit systems. “We believe that transit agencies, and not the federal government, should oversee the safety and security procedures needed to protect the riding public due to the varying circumstances in each different part of the country,” the statement said.
The statement went on to say that while the ABA acknowledges the CDC’s recommendation that people wear masks while in public, it believes that public transit systems should be free to decide whether to implement a mandate requiring their riders to wear face coverings. The organization urged transit agencies to consider other safety measures such as improved ventilation systems, passenger capacity limits, sanitization requirements, and social distancing guidelines.
The ABA’s stance against the federal mask mandates has been echoed by a number of other organizations including the American Public Transportation Association and the National School Transportation Association. These groups argue that public transit systems should be able to determine their own standards of health and safety and that forcing a one-size-fits-all mandate across the country could have unintended consequences.
