According to Newsweek's December 17, tens of millions of Americans are at risk of losing key modes of transportation, as inter-city bus stops are closed in many cities due to rising operating costs and capital loss.
Intercity bus lines in the U.S. are operated by businesses such as Greyhound, Intercity Bus and Superbus, providing transportation options between cities, the report said. Many Americans who commute long distances rely heavily on this mode of transportation, and some passengers choose this mode of transportation for a variety of other reasons. It is estimated that this industry carries more passengers throughout the year than the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
Intercity bus stations in major cities such as Cincinnati, Charlottesville, Houston, Louisville, Philadelphia, Portland, and Tampa are all closed. More stations in places like Chicago and Dallas will also close soon. It is estimated that about 60 million people are at risk of losing intercity bus service.
In many cases, Greyhound and others have moved these stations to places far from the city center and not easily accessible by public transport. In some places, bus stops are completely closed. In some cases, the closure of one station has had a ripple effect, causing the closure of another station that relies heavily on it, just as the station in Jackson, Mississippi, had to close after the station in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Without this service, about 75% of passengers using intercity bus services would not be able to travel normally. Such a service also caters to a considerable number of travelers with limited travel capacity.
The report quoted CNN 17** as saying that these actions of the bus company are largely attributed to rising operating costs and the loss of funds, as well as the sale of 33 stations of Greyhound to Twentilek Holdings.
Joseph Schwittman, a professor at DePaul University and director of the Chadik Metropolitan Development Institute, told CNN: "It's amazing that all of this is happening at the same time. This is depriving a large number of low-income and mobility-impaired citizens of mobility. They have no other choice. ”
Schwittmann added: "Intercity buses should no longer be an invisible mode of travel for cities. The era of private stations is coming to an end fast, so there is a need to figure out how to ensure that this service can continue without pushing people into the rain and cold. ”
A spokesperson for Greyhound said it was committed to "actively engaging with local stakeholders to highlight the importance of supporting affordable and equitable intercity bus travel," despite "encountering challenges in some cases". (Refer to the news network compiled by Liu Xiaoyan).