Operation Quick Strike shuts down 52 unsafe operators
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shut down 52 unsafe operations bus and coach companies, involving 340 vehicles, because of Operation Quick Strike, its recent eight-month initiative to protect passengers from non-compliant companies while educating the public on safe coach travel. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has been very emphatic about raising the bar on coach safety.
This intensified effort demonstrated that FMCSA strengthened oversight methods in the three-phase motorcoach safety Initiative. The administration dispatched more than 50 specially trained investigators from April through November to conduct in-depth reviews of the patterns and practices of the 250 most at-risk motorcoach companies using roadside inspection and safety data — completing 214 top-to-bottom compliance investigations.
By the numbers
Operation Quick Strike shut down 20 motorcoach companies immediately for violations deemed an imminent hazard to the public, while 32 companies receiving “unsatisfactory” safety ratings were shut down after failing to remedy critical and acute violations. Twenty-eight companies took corrective action to fix the safety violations investigators uncovered to avoid being shut down. Of the more than 1,300 vehicles inspected, Operation Quick Strike put 340 vehicles out-of-service for safety and maintenance violations.
According to FMCSA, the chief contributors in the resultant shutdowns involved company-wide failures to maintain their buses properly, inadequate drug and alcohol driver testing programs, as well as widespread hours-of-service violations.
Look before you book
“This year we evaluated and enhanced our investigation methods to dig deeper than ever before and uncover dangerous patterns of unsafe behavior and business practices,” says FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “Now we are training all investigators to utilize the new tactics we employed during Operation Quick Strike, and encourage everyone who travels by bus to look before you book using the safety information on our website.”
FMCSA administrator Anne Ferro pointed out the importance of not waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to tell her FMCSA had to re-examine the way it was carrying out its investigations.
“That’s exactly what we did early this year, which then led to this thorough sweep of 250 of the highest risk companies,” Ferro says.
By the states
FMCSA says 49 companies operating in multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces shut down have not reopened. Three have reopened after taking corrective action.
Companies that shut down
Arizona
Autobuses Rayon Inc.
River City Shuttle
British Columbia, Canada:
FTS Forest Transport Services LTD
California
Salcido Tours
Connecticut
New Haven Bus Service
People to Places Inc.
Florida
Ricardo Transportation
McRea Transportation, Inc.
Fabulous Coach Lines
Georgia
All Pro Motor Coach
Best Limo Service
Illinois
Across USA Tour & Travel
Nealson Coach Inc.
Acrosstown Charter
Irma J Tours, Inc.
Illini Tours
Indiana
Rotel North American Tours LLC
Kansas
Midnight Express LLC
Kentucky
MHBS Inc.
Massachusetts
Furtado Bus Lines
Lynette’s Limousine
MTZ Tours
Sovereign Transportation
Mississippi
Carbo Limo of Oxford, LLC
CC Rider Coach
New Jersey
Pocono Progressive
New York
Coach USA Tour Inc., [not affiliated with Coach USA Inc., Paramus, N.J.]
Horizon Coach Inc.
Gotham Coach Service Inc.
Uniworld Tours, Inc.
North Carolina
Charter Bus
Southeastern Tours, Inc.
Executive Charters Lines, Inc.
Spaulding Charters and Tours, Inc.
Ohio
Destiny Tours
Pennsylvania
Bus Go Bus, Inc.
Travel Time Transportation, LLC
S & V Tours Inc.
Wilcar Tours, Inc.
South Carolina
Destiny Tours
The People’s Choice
South Carolina VIP Tours, LLC
Tennessee
GWC Enterprises Inc.
Texas
Autobuses Zacatecanos LLC
Hotel Mexicano
Agape Tours Inc.
Utah
Salt Lake Shuttles LLC
Vermont
Advanced Ventures, LLC
Washington, D.C.
Onboard DC Tours LLC
Companies reopened after shut down
Georgia
Transsouth Motorcoach, LLC
Massachusetts
Lucky Star
North Carolina
DAPTCO Motor Coach Services