Reflecting a spreading loss of faith in the Government's capacity to fight terrorism, most private bus owners kept their vehicles off the streets today.

The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1957, due to political lobbying by private bus owners.

Armed security guards were placed around the area, and a strike of bus owners was set off in order to prevent people from attending.

The bus owners said they could not operate without passing on to passengers the 30-fold increase in gasoline prices.

The pact is voluntary and provides no enforcement mechanism, and bus owners would have to pay most of the costs involved.

It also told bus owners to return to the roads or have their permits to operate vehicles confiscated.

However, certain bus owners announced of that they would run their buses, whatever the situation.

New York City schools have an unusual arrangement with their bus owners and drivers in many respects.

At the side of the concrete spaceport apron was a line of barkers for the rival bus owners.

Some bus owners are reported to have formed a cooperative but the corporate arrangements are described as "ramshackle."