Four Bus Companies Shut Down Following Multi-State FMCSA Strike Force Investigation
March 14, 2016 – WASHINGTON – Following a four-month, multi-state investigation, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced that it has revoked the operating authority registration of four commercial bus companies for willfully failing to comply with federal safety regulations.
Each of the four passenger carriers intentionally provided a false physical address as its principal place of business. Federal safety regulations prohibit such false and misleading information.
The bus companies who had their USDOT operating authority registration revoked are:
- Homewood, Alabama-based AKAI LLC, USDOT No. 2444704
- Norcross, Georgia-based Luxury Express Bus Company LLC, USDOT No. 2442687
- Waltham, Massachusetts-based Magnum Coach Lines, LLC, USDOT No. 2489680
- Raleigh, North Carolina-based Hermes Luxury Coach LTD, USDOT No. 2430448
These companies could be fined for operating without a valid USDOT operating authority. The fines could be up to $25,000 for each violation.
As part of the recent strike force investigation, two additional bus companies will be fined. The fines are for multiple violations of federal safety regulations.
- Doraville, Georgia-based Transtate Travel Inc., USDOT No. 2450783. Transtate Travel violated two federal statutes. (1) Making a fraudulent or intentionally false entry on a USDOT operating authority registration document. (2) Operating beyond the scope of its USDOT-granted authority. Transtate Travel has received a proposed Conditional Safety Rating.
- New York City-based Forever Yours Tours, Inc., USDOT No. 2042615. Forever Yours Tours also violated two federal statutes. (1) Aiding, abetting, encouraging, or requiring a motor carrier or its employees to violate federal safety regulations. (2) Making fraudulent or intentionally false entry on a USDOT application for operating authority registration. Forever Yours Tours has received a proposed Unsatisfactory Safety Rating.
Companies getting Conditional or Unsatisfactory Safety Ratings have 45 days to submit an acceptable corrective action plan. That plan must outline in detail the steps it will take to bring the carrier into compliance with FMCSA safety regulations. Or a company can submit a formal Administrative Appeal to the agency. A company can also contest the proposed Safety Rating.
Commercial bus and truck companies that receive a final Safety Rating of Unsatisfactory cannot operate in interstate and intrastate commerce.
Operating in violation of a final Unsatisfactory Safety Rating may result in federal civil penalties of at least $25,000, as well as a criminal penalty, including a fine of up to $25,000 and imprisonment not to exceed one year.
Travelers planning a bus trip are also encouraged to think safety first. Before buying a ticket or chartering a bus, use FMCSA’s passenger carrier safety checklist. The checklist is available in multiple languages: – click here.
