The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) declared Ming An Inc., an interstate passenger carrier based in New York City, to be an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the company to immediately shut down.

An FMCSA investigation of Ming An’s operations and its vehicles concluded that the carrier operated in blatant disregard for federal safety regulations. Investigators 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.

The company did not require drivers to maintain log books or conduct vehicle safety inspections as required by federal regulations. FMCSA investigators found that the company lacked a systematic vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance program.

In addition, inspections of Ming An’s buses and vans revealed that many had been modified with after-market seats in violation of federal safety requirements.

The FMCSA order stated that the violations and conditions of operations substantially increase the likelihood of serious injury or death to Ming An’s drivers, passengers and the motoring public.

“This is a company that operates unsafely,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “It frequently uses part-time, unqualified drivers, and often ignores basic safety maintenance and operating standards.”

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed here.