U.S. DOT shuts down 52 unsafe bus companies

(CNN) -- U.S. transportation officials Thursday shut down 52 bus companies and 340 vehicles as part of as an eight-month effort targeting unsafe motor coach companies, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Called Operation Quick Strike, the sweeping action -- from New York to Florida, from Texas to California -- involved companies in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The firms were put out of business after more than 50 specially trained investigators conducted detailed reviews of safety practices at the 250 most at-risk motor coach companies based on roadside inspection and safety data, according to a statement from the agency.

CNN Travel

Bus transportation has become more popular in this economic downturn. You add several horrific bus accidents and its not surprising that they would expand there safety inspections. What does surprise me is the tone of the article, it has a military or police feel about it. "Operation Quick Strike" really? and "Sweeping action" I wonder if they raided these companies with law enforcement?

LDragonFire
it has a military or police feel about it. "Operation Quick Strike" really? and "Sweeping action" I wonder if they raided these companies with law enforcement?

Hey if it prevents some child from being smeared on the highway due to some under trained, lazy bus mechanic or some guy behind the wheel with a hidden history of drunken violations or suspensions then so be it.

What get's me is how do these types get and or keep those jobs in the first place?

SLAYER69

LDragonFire
it has a military or police feel about it. "Operation Quick Strike" really? and "Sweeping action" I wonder if they raided these companies with law enforcement?

Hey if it prevents some child from being smeared on the highway due to some under trained, lazy bus mechanic or some guy behind the wheel with a hidden history of drunken violations or suspensions then so be it.

What get's me is how do these types get and or keep those jobs in the first place?

edit on 12-12-2013 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

It was just reading the other day about how a bunch of these fly by night bus "companies" had popped up to take advantage of different routes and how some were legit and well maintained and some were just tossed together and under the table sorts. No suprise they cracked down. Transportation safety is one of the things the US has always done right. In many parts of the world its a craps shoot. A particular flight I took in Pakistan comes to mind in plane the looked like Indiana Jones had flown in it before WW2 comes to mind.

I completely agree that they need inspection and regulation.

Where they raided by law enforcement like milk farms? Is this standard operating procedure?

alfa1
One has to wonder why they did them all on the same day.
Would it not have been safer to shut down each offending company as soon as it was known to be unsafe?

If they did that, they wouldn't have a big headline to throw out to the news media.

JIMC5499

alfa1
One has to wonder why they did them all on the same day.
Would it not have been safer to shut down each offending company as soon as it was known to be unsafe?

If they did that, they wouldn't have a big headline to throw out to the news media.

Just reading a bit more on other news sites to find out WHY, and I'm coming to the conclusion that its just an example of bad reporting.
Worded badly.

ie: Press release on the big day, but the companies were shut down earlier.

alfa1

LDragonFire
U.S. transportation officials Thursday shut down 52 bus companies

One has to wonder why they did them all on the same day.
Would it not have been safer to shut down each offending company as soon as it was known to be unsafe?

In an 8 month operation, one could assume that some of these bus companies had been known to be unsafe 6 months ago... but no... just wait for the day of the big press release instead.

I dont think any other industry would work that way. Could you imagine doctors doing a whole bunch of diagnostic tests of patients over 8 months... and then waiting... and waiting for a big day to finally tell them all at the same time?

If they cracked down on one or two, the others may have caught word and started purging records or trying to cover their tracks. This way, they get the most for their efforts in terms of fines for violations found and the ability to scare the rest of them into continuing to do things better every day.

I do not find a problem with their approach as it seems pretty effective and can only mean safer travel for the rest of us out there whether we are on a bus or driving near one.

I work as a diesel truck mechanic and a state inspector in MA. These heavy vehicles are no joke - when stuff goes wrong, there are way too many lives on the line. When they shut down Fung Wah earlier this year, Fung Wah Bus Between New York City And Boston Shut Down By Feds, they found cracked frames, bad brakes, etc. I'm not a huge fan of government regulation in general, but this is an area that needs to be enforced. When I'm driving down the highway, I never hang next to a bus or semi-trailer. Most outfits do take care of their equipment, but there are definitely cheap pricks running unsafe equipment out there.

No wonder these companies are popping up. Greyhound is overpriced so it's no surprise.

Where I live Megabus has put some serious pressure on Greyhound in the area. Good service, good customer service, great prices. I went from Austin to San Antonio round trip for five bucks.

The Greyhounds I've taken they treat customers horribly and seems they go out of their way to make the whole experience miserable. They are also overpriced. I guess they figured that there was no competition.

What I want to know about this "sweep" is who authorized it and if so did they "sweep" the companies like Greyhound as well?

What is the actual number of bus crashes to warrant the closing down of this many companies?

What do they consider safety violations? How do they apply the same standards to all transportation services?

What were the reasons for the crashes that did happen? Were they truly a result of a motor vehicle error or normal crash problems(ice etc).

Otherwise it sounds a bit fishy to me. Like a big dog like Greyhound got butt hurt that they no longer had a monopoly on overpriced and under quality transportation services. Who is on the board of the agency that is pushing for this? What are their connections to Greyhound?

reply to post by OrphanApology


Also I looked up the First Group's(company that owns Greyound) quarterly report and greyhound decreased by 2.3 percent.

The only area of Greyhound that has been doing well is Greyhound Express which in many ways copies some of the charter lines in regard to comfort and pricing.

Not saying these are connected but it's definitely worth pointing out. Greyhound has been losing market shares to these companies and Megabus for a considerable amount of time and it's worth noting.

Greyhound is worse than riding coach (aka steerage) on a commercial airliner.

I've never met so many mentally unstable, dirty, creepy people in one place before in my life.