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US intercity buses to cut costs and CO2 emissions – The Smart Move!20 January 2012 - Replacing subsidised air travel with inter-city buses would cut costs by 68% and CO2 emissions by 63,500 tonnes per year, research has found.
According to research by the American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation, replacing subsidised air links under the current US Essential Air Service (EAS) Programme, with scheduled inter-city bus services, would save 68% of the current EAS Programme costs and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by 63,500 tonnes per year. The study compares the financial and environmental costs of supporting rural mobility using scheduled inter-city coach services to the costs of maintaining air links under the EAS programme in 38 EAS communities in the lower 48 US states that are within 150 miles of a medium or large hub airport. For the current EAS programme, total costs include government subsidies and passenger fares. For the coach alternative, total costs include bus operating costs, and the value of passenger time for alternative bus trips that take longer than current EAS-subsidised flights.
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