TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — More than 1,000 buses circled our nation's capitol Wednesday to help save the motorcoach industry, including owners from a company based in Tallahassee.
On Wednesday, Astro Travel Owner Matt Brown and his family set off to join the Rolling for Awareness demonstration in Washington, D.C.
Brown and other owners are asking for grant money to support more than 100,000 motorcoach employees across the country, many of whom are already out of work.
He also says the 600 million trips his industry makes possible should receive government funding similar to that provided to airlines and railways.
"We were overlooked," said Brown. "The airlines move 700 million passengers a year. They got $50 billion. Amtrak moves 30 million people a year and they got $1 billion. Our industry, the motorcoach industry, moves 20 times what Amtrak moves. We move 600 million people annually, and we got zero from the federal government and we're taking action."
Back to back, 1,000 buses stretch about nine miles, circling in front of the Capital and around the city for five hours.
