STOPPING BY THE BUS TERMINAL ON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT: THE U.S. BUS INDUSTRY SEVEN YEARS AFTER DEREGULATION

The bus industry now has seven years experience following the Interstate Commerce Commission's administration of the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982, and whether caused by or merely coincidentally following the Bus Act, the industry is vastly different at the outset of the decade of the 1990s than it was at the outset of the 1980s. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of current legal issues affecting the intercity bus industry. The article focuses on the current state of federal regulation, with the caveat that states continue to exercise reasonable power in regulating bus transportation within their borders. To a limited extent, the article also addresses the structure of the industry and some of the current issues with which it is faced.