17904 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices

1The stock of these eight motor passenger carriers

was placed in separate, independent voting trusts

with different trustees to avoid any unlawful

control.

2See Notre Capital Ventures II, LLC and Coach

USA, Inc.—Control Exemption—Arrow Stage Lines,

Inc.; Cape Transit Corp.; Community Coach, Inc.;

Community Transit Lines, Inc.; Grosvenor Bus

Lines, Inc.; H.A.M.L. Corp.; Leisure Time Tours;

Suburban Management Corp.; Suburban Trails,

Inc.; and Suburban Transit Corp., STB Finance

Docket No. 32876 (Sub-No. 1) (STB served May 3,

1996).

3See Coach USA, Inc.—Control Exemption—

American Sightseeing Tours, Inc.; California

Charters, Inc.; Texas Bus Lines, Inc.; Gulf Coast

Transportation, Inc.; and K–T Contract Services,

Inc., STB Finance Docket No. 33073 (STB served

Nov. 8, 1996).

4Coach USA, Inc.—Control Exemption—

Progressive Transportation, Inc.; Powder River

Transportation Services, Inc.; Worthen Van Service,

Inc.; and PCSTC, Inc., STB Finance Docket No.

33343 (STB served and published Mar. 12, 1997)

(62 FR 11518).

the FHWA at the address provided

above.

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance 20.205, Highway Planning

and Construction.

Issued on: April 1, 1997.

Joe D. Wilkerson,

Division Administrator, Federal Highway

Administration, Montgomery, Alabama.

[FR Doc. 97–9304 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33377]

Coach USA, Inc.—Control Exemption—

Airport Bus of Bakersfield; Antelope

Valley Bus, Inc., Desert Stage Lines,

Inc.; Bayou City Coaches, Inc.;

Kerrville Bus Company, Inc.; Red &

Tan Charter, Inc.; Red & Tan Tours,

Inc.; and Rockland Coaches, Inc.

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of filing of petition for

exemption.

SUMMARY: Coach USA, Inc. (Coach), a

noncarrier that controls 15 motor

passenger carriers, seeks to be

exempted, under 49 U.S.C. 13541, from

the prior approval requirements of 49

U.S.C. 14303(a)(5), to acquire control of

eight other motor passenger carriers.

DATES: Comments must be filed by May

1, 1997. Petitioner may file a reply by

May 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10

copies of comments referring to STB

Finance Docket No. 33377 to: Office of

the Secretary, Case Control Unit,

Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K

Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20423–

0001. Also send one copy of comments

to petitioner’s representatives: Betty Jo

Christian and David H. Coburn, Steptoe

& Johnson LLP, 1330 Connecticut

Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 565–1600 [TDD

for the hearing impaired: (202) 565–

1695.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coach

seeks an exemption to acquire stock

control over eight motor passenger

carriers that operate in interstate and

intrastate commerce: Airport Bus of

Bakersfield (MC–163191) (primarily

charter operations and regular-route

service in California and Nevada);

Antelope Valley Bus, Inc. (MC–125057)

(primarily charter operations and

regular-route service in California and

Nevada); Desert Stage Lines, Inc. (MC–

140919) (primarily charter operations in

California); Bayou City Coaches, Inc.

(MC–245246) (primarily charter

operations in Texas and New Mexico);

Kerrville Bus Company, Inc. (MC–

27530) (primarily charter operations and

regular-route service in Texas,

Louisiana, and Arkansas); Red & Tan

Charter, Inc. (MC–204842) (holds

authority to operate charter and special

services, but does not presently conduct

any bus operations); Red & Tan Tours,

Inc. (MC–162174) (primarily charter

operations and regular-route service in

New York and New Jersey); and

Rockland Coaches, Inc. (MC–29890)

(primarily charter operations and

regular-route service in New York and

New Jersey).1 Antelope Valley Bus, Inc.

operates Airport Bus of Bakersfield as a

division and wholly owns Desert Stage

Lines, Inc. Red & Tan Tours, Inc., Red

& Tan Charter, Inc., and Rockland

Coaches, Inc. are also under common

control. Bayou City Coaches, Inc. and

Kerrville Bus Company, Inc. are

controlled by different members of the

same family. Coach states that each of

the eight carriers accounts for a

relatively small market share and

operates regionally in diverse markets

across the United States.

Coach indicates that it currently

controls the nation’s second largest

group of motor passenger carriers,

having acquired 10 carriers in May

1996,2 and five more in November

1996.3 In STB Finance Docket No.

33343, which is pending before the

Board, petitioner is seeking to acquire

control of four other motor passenger

carriers.4

Petitioner asserts that there is little

competition, and no significant overlap

in operations, among the 15 carriers it

now controls and the carriers it seeks to

control in this proceeding and in STB

Finance Docket No. 33343. Coach

acknowledges that there is some overlap

in service but states that the proposed

acquisitions will have no meaningful

effect on the continued availability of

competitive transportation.

Following the acquisition of control

by Coach, the eight carriers will

continue to operate in their respective

markets, each under its own name and

each in the same basic manner as before.

Coach claims that improved service at

lower costs will result because of the

coordination of functions, centralized

management, financial support,

rationalization of resources, and

economies of scale that are anticipated

from the common control. Coach also

states that all collective bargaining

agreements will be honored, that

employee benefits will improve, and

that no change in management

personnel is planned. Additional

information may be obtained from

petitioner’s representatives.

Coach also requests expedited action

by the Board on its petition for

exemption filed in this proceeding and

in STB Finance Docket No. 33343.

Coach explains that there will be a

stock, and possibly a debt, offering in

May 1997 and asks that the Board issue

a decision in both proceedings by May

15, 1997.

A copy of this notice will be served

on the Department of Justice, Antitrust

Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania

Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20530.

Decided: April 4, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–9363 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P