Chinatown Bus Companies Shut Down in Federal Safety Sweep

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) The U.S. Transportation Department shut down 26 bus companies as imminent safety hazards, closing dozens of routes out of New York’s Chinatown in the government’s largest safety sweep of the motor-coach industry.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s enforcement action primarily targeted three Chinatown operations in New York and Philadelphia: Apex Bus Inc., I-95 Coach Inc. and New Century Travel Inc. The government ordered 10 bus company owners, managers and employees to cease all passenger transportation business, including selling tickets, according to a Transportation Department statement.

“By ignoring safety rules, these operators put passengers and other motorists at risk,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a phone news conference today. “This is a notice to every bus company out there. Follow the rules and keep people safe, or we will shut you down.”

The bus crackdown follows a yearlong investigation that began shortly after a series of fatal crashes last year, Federal Motor Carrier Administration chief Anne Ferro said today. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-31/chinatown-bus-companies-shut-down-in-federal-safety-sweep.html

[sabbat hunter]

1. How long will it take them to reopen under new names

that has been their pattern in the past. Closed under one name, reopen a few days later under a new one.

[elleng]

2. Yup.

'The American Bus Association, whose members include FirstGroup Plc’s Greyhound Lines Inc. and Stagecoach Group Plc (SGC)’s Megabus, has been calling for a crackdown on unsafe bus operators and strongly supports the Transportation Department’s effort, said Dan Ronan, a spokesman for the Washington-based group.

‘Whac-a-Mole’
“It’s almost been a game of ‘whac-a-mole,’” Ronan said. “The federal and state government go in, try to shut these carriers down. The owners transfer the DOT numbers, repaint the buses, and in a few hours they’re back on the road.” '