For over 60 years, Foley Bus Lines Tours & Travel has been the trusted name for superior charter and tour services. We started in 1961 as a school bus service provider for the then newly-opened central Madoc Township Public School. Today we serve local residents and travellers throughout Ontario. We maintain a fleet of comfortable, modern coaches and certified drivers to accommodate large groups and their unique travel needs.
Aside from being a group tour company, we are also a charter bus service provider and can transport corporate groups, sports teams, entertainment crews and packs of club members to any destination in Ontario. Ultimately, our goal is to get you to your destination in comfort and style.
At the 2010 Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA) Conference and Marketplace in Niagara Falls, Ontario, OMCA honoured the outstanding performers in the motorcoach and tour industry. Bob Heath of Foley Bus Lines Tours & Travel in Madoc, Ontario, was awarded the Driver Excellence award for his quality customer relations and his heroic act of protecting life and property during a bus fire.
Some drivers go beyond their call of duty, representing their company in a way that stands out. They make sincere and unselfish efforts that make their tour experience even more impressive, and the passengers remember this experience all their life. Such a driver is this Driver Excellence Award recipient.
On April 30, our Driver Excellence Award recipient was the second driver on the bus transporting a school group to Chicago. When passing through Michigan, passengers seated at the rear were shaken by the smell of smoke coming from the washroom. They quickly alerted the driver about the smell. Bob immediately pulled over to the side of the highway and stepped out to see the engine compartment engulfed in flames. He hurried back onto the bus and guided all the passengers to safely exit the vehicle, starting with those in the rear. After assuring that all the passengers are at a safe distance away from the bus, he risked flames and fumes to collect every piece of luggage. In this effort, the driver suffered minor burns to his body. After receiving treatment for smoke inhalation and burns, he greeted the passengers the next morning as they boarded a new bus driven in all the way from Ontario. His file includes many commendations from customers.
Comments from some passengers included:
“Bob is our hero,”
“Bob is insane, but I love the man…,”
“We couldn’t believe a total stranger could be so caring, thoughtful, and crazy all in one person.”
Bob is not only a driver of excellence but displays an extraordinary sense of duty and care.
Brian Crow, President of OMCA, states: “Drivers like Bob are great ambassadors of our industry and in many cases are the only person the passengers see. Bob has shown excellence in customer service and safety.”
Media Release
The Ontario Motor Coach Association is a trade association founded in 1929. The association represents over 80 bus operators, over 100 tour operators and over 700 affiliated sellers to the group tour industry. These include hotels, destinations, attractions, and retail outlets all over North America. Operator members organize scheduled intercity, tour, charter, school bus, shuttle, airport, contract, and transit services. The OMCA works with government institutions at all levels to highlight the industry’s contributions and concerns for establishing a seamless, sustainable public and private passenger transportation network.