BusTalk

[Dieseljim]

One way the Federal and State DOTs might try to redflag and put out of service rogue operators would be at roadside inspections of big rig trucks, which would be accomplished by requiring ALL charter buses to pull into the inspection area, with NO exceptions. During the inspections, usually done in rest areas on Interstates that have them, the inspectors would run a check on the company owning a questionable bus, and, at their discretion, put the bus out of service,necessitating the operator to procure alternative transportation for the group of otherwise stranded passengers and their baggage. Once one of these operators has been subjected to a few such insidents involving the stranding of passengers, he will soon see his business decline and be driven out of business once a bad reputation has been established. Another way is to run a check on a company run by the same operator who had a previous company put out of business by government order as a result of safety violations and if they turn out to be one and the same, subject that new company to intense scrutiny. These people are getting away with MURDER!!!!! Unannounced inspections of a bus operator's place of business would also be an effective measure. How the hell many more of these bus crashes with multiple fatalities do we have to have before the federal government comes to its senses, assuming it has any left?

[shortlineMCI]

Actually DJ...

Any small operator must watch their backs and do everything by the books ESPECIALLY when going down to Atlantic City, Great Adventure, Dorney Park and some other "hot spots" such as these in the Garden State.. It's not the troopers that watch them..it's NJDOT! And they don't play games to any degree.

They pull up behind the bus as it's pulling in, let all the passengers off, and then DOT then boards the bus, and they have put that driver OUT OF SERVICE right then and there. No questions asked if they spot something dangerous. They have tread depth gauges checking for the 4/32 and 2/32 respectively, front tire retreads... I mean everything including their log books.


Occasionally I do see a DOT inspector with a NJT, Coach USA, DeCamp, companies like these, but not so much as these buses are pretty much up to par anyhow being DOT visits the garages anyhow but if they do, I sincerely hope that driver has his log up to date, if not he could be put out of service on the spot and the fines are upwards of 400 dollars. Although, if you are polite, he's really supposed to give that driver 10 minutes.


Anyhow, I digress, DOT has and will put a small operator out of service on the spot.