Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Destiny Tours falsified an inspection document and failed to regularly inspect, repair or maintain its single motorcoach as required by federal safety regulations. Meanwhile, following a passenger fatality, an inspection of the vehicle involved found that Kansas-based Midnight Express realigned seating, blocking all four emergency exit windows.

An advocacy group cited anomalies in how the board classified motorcoach operators and calculated fatality rates, raising doubts about the report's conclusion that curbside companies, including most Chinatown carriers, are about seven times more likely to have passenger deaths than companies using terminals.

Safety investigators found that Autobuses Zacatecanos failed to ensure that its vehicles were systematically and properly inspected, repaired and maintained. Onsite inspections of the carrier’s four buses revealed such numerous and serious safety violations that all four vehicles were immediately declared out of service.

An investigation of Ming An Inc.’s operations found that Ming An failed to conduct pre-employment drug and alcohol testing and allowed unqualified drivers to operate its vehicles in an unsafe manner with its drivers receiving numerous citations for speeding in excess of 15 miles per hour over posted speed limits.

Investigators found that Atlanta-based Aglemoarge Services Inc. fails to monitor and ensure that its drivers comply with drivers' hours-of-service requirements; drivers' records of duty status and qualification requirements; and drivers' controlled substances and alcohol use and testing requirements.

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.

Agency needed to shut down the service temporarily because of public safety concerns as well as for the safety of its employees, GM said.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (N.Y. MTA) and NJ Transit workers have begun to inspect, assess and repair of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. N.Y. MTA began partial restoration of bus service. NJ Transit suspended all service until further notice. Maryland MTA will operate light rail, MARC Train, and commuter bus service on their regular schedules Oct. 31.

All agencies, including N.Y. MTA, NJ Transit, SEPTA, MBTA and Maryland MTA, are working to restore service as quickly as possible, but forecast delays, and some have suspended services for the rest of the day.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation CEO told the City Council that the agency bases the figure on contractor delay claims, change orders and new expenses tied to the court-ordered construction shutdown of the rail project.