FMCSA shuts down Ill. operator

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered passenger carrier LEX Express Inc. (DBA Lincolnland Express) of Champaign, Ill., to shut down its operations.

On Oct. 22, 2012, FMCSA issued a proposed “Unsatisfactory” safety rating against LEX Express after conducting a compliance review that found numerous violations of federal safety regulations, including false reporting of records of duty status, use of commercial motor vehicles that were not periodically inspected, and failure to properly maintain vehicle parts and accessories.

“Safety is our number one priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We are using every resource at our disposal to identify and remove unsafe bus companies from our roads.”

LEX Express was informed in the FMCSA’s notice that the company would be prohibited from operating its fleet of 30 passenger vehicles and 34 drivers on Dec. 7, 2012, unless FMCSA approved a corrective action plan to ensure safety compliance.

LEX Express submitted a 600-page proposed safety management plan in November, five business days before the effective date of the “Unsatisfactory” safety rating. FMCSA is in the process of reviewing LEX Express’s plan and has up to 30 days for review to ensure the proposed corrective action will produce safety results warranting a rating upgrade.