The past and the future are the coin. The present is how to spend them. Today it is exceedingly easy to get from one place to another, by plane or by boat. Centuries ago, it was neither of these systems that transported people around, either by virtue of mechanical complication or expense. For many cities and towns, buses were the most common way for the average citizen to travel from one place to another. For a variety of reasons, from changing social habits to sheer novelty, this style of transportation went out of style. The bus company took a hit and stood synonymous with poverty or inefficiency. Now the industry stands to thrive again and pave the way for a cleaner, greener future. To examine this coming eco-friendly revolution, it helps to examine the beginning of the charter bus company. Where any business starts is, in many ways, the standard to see where it’s going. It all started in the city, centuries ago.
Engine Beginnings
The industrial revolution began in the early 1800’s and when it hit, it hit hard. By the 1830’s, steam-powered buses were becoming common in cities across England. This new form of transportation allowed all variety of workers to get to farther work faster, allowing for an explosive economic boom. People could travel comfortably on a bus and it made for an easier method of transportation than carriages, expensive, or waking, dangerous. Horse-drawn buses had been in use since the 1820’s but even these were messy and slower than the newer steam-powered models. The use of mechanical buses also served to clean the cities which were prone to all manner of disease and waste that comes with the wide-spread presence of animal transportation. The ease of bus travel, along with its cleanliness and cheap cost, served to broaden the reach of the city and turn them into centers for industry. It would still be decades before buses were capable of transporting anyone a significant distance but the dissemination of the idea was complete by the mid-century. Public transit was the way of the sleek and clean urban future. Along with a plethora of other factors, it was the invention of the bus, and the benefits of bus travel, that created the modern world.
Mirror of the Transportation Future
The charter bus company was the mode of transportation for much of the next mid-century. The 1950’s and 60’s saw the rise of plane travel as an option for the upper class but the average American citizen preferred the safe and affordable bus option. By the 80’s and 90’s, plane travel had become cheap enough that bus travel began to look like a primitive option. The board had switched entirely. This all changed during the eco-revolution of the 2000’s, when the science caught up with rationale. Buses, as it was discovered, emit far less carbon-dioxide per passenger mile than most other modes of travel. They are also better for the economy as a whole, generating up to and exceeding $55 billion dollars for the overall economy. The charter bus company runs a greener and more cost-efficient ship than any airline or rail company in the United States and they’ve grown accordingly. A study by the American Bus Association shows that from 2011 to 2012, bus travel increased 7.5%, thus putting it in the lead for quickest growth for a form of travel. Just like at the beginning, the bus is making travel affordable and clean again and that bodes well for the consumer and the industry. By 1945, the charter bus company was the way for Americans to travel. By 2045, it could be that way again.
