Updated: House panel targets bus safety

On Monday, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders conducted a Full Committee oversight hearing on bus safety and the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in keeping unsafe operators off the nation's highways.

Although travel by bus or motorcoach is one of the safest forms of transportation in the U.S., recent high profile bus accidents in Virginia, New York and New Jersey have raised concerns about safety and "rogue" bus operators who intentionally attempt to circumvent motorcoach safety regulations and continue to operate.

Monday's hearing of the Full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), examined federal safety programs and how best to improve bus safety.

"Bus transportation is one of our safest modes of travel, but we must ensure that our federal safety laws are effectively enforced, particularly to prevent continued operations by bad actors in the industry," Mica said. "This hearing will help inform the Committee as it continues to develop a multi-year reauthorization of transportation programs, including our highway safety programs."

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