Steve Robinson

DOT Wants Greater Power to Fight Unsafe Bus Operators

Many people continue to ride the bus even in the face of cheap airline tickets and cheap travel packages.

The DOT is asking Congress to grant greater power to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) so that it can successfully pursue suspended operators who go out and secure licenses to operate under new names.

DOT has also requested Congress  approve a new procedure that would empower the FMCSA to conduct bus safety inspections at places such as rest stops and require new motorcoach companies to undergo a complete safety audit before being allowed to operate.

Finally the DOT wants to increase the financial penalty for operating a bus illegally or without government authorization from $2,000 per day to $25,000 per violation.

Currently fatal bus accidents are continuing even though FMCSA in the past two years has suspended as many unsafe operators by issuing 14 imminent hazard orders as it did in the previous 10 years.

The DOT conducted over 3,000 surprise bus inspections in May and issued out of service citations to 127 drivers and 315 vehicles.

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