Unannounced inspections result in closing of 26 busing operations
Busing companies transporting passengers along the I-95 interstate between Florida and New York were targeted for safety inspections that resulted in the closing of 26 operations, in what federal officials are calling the largest single enforcement effort of its kind. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the United States Department of Transportation announced the results of this safety enforcement campaign recently, proclaiming the 26 busing companies shut down by the operation to be significant dangers to public safety. The companies closed down in this safety crackdown were headquartered in several states: Indiana, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The majority of the bus routes traveled by these buses, more than 230 in total, either departed from or arrived at Chinatown in New York City. Three busing companies, Apex Bus Incorporated, New Century Travel Incorporated, and I-95 Coach Incorporated, all of which oversee a larger network of busing subsidiaries, were targets of a year long investigation leading up to this crackdown. All the bus companies shutdown in this operation were affiliated with one of these three companies though they operate under different names. These 233 bus companies were shutdown after official inspections revealed a number of safety violations such as employing improperly licensed drivers and failing to comply with mandated maintenance or inspection schedules. Thirteen of the companies targeted for shutdown had previously been stripped of their operating licenses but continued to remain in business anyway, and three additional companies were operating while their government authorization applications were still in the approval process.
