Officials from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) were on hand today for a commercial bus and motorcoach checkpoint safety inspection on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The crackdown is part of FMCSA’s Passenger Carrier Strike Force, which consists of federal, state and local police agencies performing inspections at popular travel destinations across the U.S. The checkpoint sweeps, being conducted from August 23 to September 4, are taking place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
FMCSA Administrator Ann Ferro spoke to BUSRide following today’s visit to the Strike Force inspection site. Ferro says this is an aggressive, ongoing safety inspection program that is having positive effects on the overall safety record of the motorcoach industry.
“The FMCSA conducts its Strike Force inspections in a manner that does not take the carriers too far from their routes, with the effect of immediately getting any unsafe vehicle off the road before picking up passengers for the rest of the journey, “ Ferro says. “Clearly, these inspections have had an impact. In some cases, they are educational for the drivers who may feign ignorance when they arrive at a Strike Force inspection point.”
She says this inspection program sends a very significant message to company owner-operators. For more, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov.