SELMA -- After several weeks of negotiations, U.S. Representative Artur Davis today announced the restoration of bus service from Selma to Montgomery along this historic freedom trail of the Civil Rights Movement.

The route will be assumed by West Alabama Public Transportation (WAPT) of Demopolis.  The company will schedule three trips per day from Selma to the Greyhound bus station in Montgomery that most effectively coordinate with buses traveling to other destinations across the county.

In a letter to Congressman Davis, Greyhound expressed regret for the need to close these stations but also a desire to assist in restoring service to communities by other means if possible.  Congressman Davis immediately initiated negotiations with public and private parties, including Greyhound, the City of Selma and the state of Alabama, to see that some action was taken.

“When we consider the route from Selma to Montgomery, we immediately remember the blood shed and lives lost during the Civil Rights Movement,” Davis said.  “It would be a great injustice to those heroes and the current residents of Selma if we did not work to ensure that some level of ground transportation was available providing them access to travel outside the region.”

WAPT has received assistance from the Alabama Department of Transportation to pick up the route from Selma to Montgomery as well as others throughout the Black Belt region.  The company is currently in discussions with Greyhound and ALDOT to determine other routes it will cover and will make further announcements in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased to be in a position to provide continued ground transportation service to the people of Selma along one of the most historic bus routes in the nation,” said WAPT Executive Director Bobby Armstead. “We look forward to offering the people of Selma reliable service to and from Montgomery as a part of their travels today and well into the future.”

ALDOT also pledged to continue working to open additional routes in the Black Belt. 

“The Alabama Department of Transportation is pleased to have been a part of this collaborative effort to restore bus service from Selma to Montgomery,” said Joe McInnis, ALDOT director.  “We look forward to continue working with WAPT and Greyhound to provide service to other locations in West Alabama.”

Greyhound announced earlier this month that it would discontinue service to 39 stations in Alabama leaving only 12 stations to cover the entire state. 

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