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FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle and Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public

Press Release

February 25, 2014

FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle and Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Atlanta-based STSC Transportation Services, Inc., USDOT No. 2350604, to immediately cease all passenger transportation operations after finding that the company was endangering the traveling public by failing to ensure the safety of its vehicles and drivers.  Although the company is registered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company operates service between Philadelphia and New York City.

“Safety is our top priority and we will continue to use every means available to ensure everyone on our roads and highways reaches their destinations safely,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “This includes shutting down unsafe bus companies that ignore vitally important safety rules.”

FMCSA safety investigators found that STSC Transportation had failed to ensure that its buses were systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained, and that the company had failed to ensure that its drivers were properly qualified and licensed.  STSC Transportation had been cited for not providing many required and vital safety related records which were not maintained at the company’s registered Atlanta address.  The federal shut-down order includes all interstate and intrastate operations.

Beginning in November 2013, FMCSA investigators found serious and widespread violations of multiple federal safety regulations, including:

  • Lack of management controls to ensure proper inspection, repair, and maintenance of vehicles.  STSC had repeatedly been cited during inspections on six occasions for continuing to operate buses after being placed out of service for serious safety violations.  STSC failed to produce any proof of annual inspection, preventative maintenance, and repairs completed for its buses.  Three inspections found inoperable emergency exits.
     
  • Failure to conduct required random tests for alcohol and illegal drug use by drivers. 
     
  • Failure to ensure that its drivers adhered to federal hours-of-service limitations to prevent fatigued driving.  STSC Transportation was cited for missing records of duty status, exceeding hours of service limitations, and falsifying records of duty status.

“FMCSA investigators work diligently across the country to prevent crashes from occurring by shutting down bus companies that put their passengers and the public at risk,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “In the past three years, we have more than tripled the number of dangerous companies and drivers we have taken off the road and we will continue taking aggressive action against carriers that disregard our safety standards.”

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2014/STSCTransportation.pdf.

*

As part of FMCSA’s work to make safety data readily available to the traveling public, the SaferBus mobile app gives bus riders a quick and free way to review a bus company’s safety record before buying a ticket or booking group travel.  The app, available for iPhone, iPad, and Android phone users, can be downloaded for free by visiting FMCSA’s “Look Before You Book” webpage at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/saferbus.

Travelers planning a bus trip are also encouraged to think safety first before buying a ticket or chartering a bus by using FMCSA’s multilingual passenger carrier safety checklist at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/lookbeforeyoubook.

FMCSA urges consumers and whistleblowers to report any unsafe bus company, vehicle, or driver to the agency through a toll free hotline 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) or FMCSA’s consumer complaint web site: http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/HomePage.asp.

Consumers who bought a ticket on a bus company that FMCSA has recently placed out-of-service may be entitled to a credit from their credit card company under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit card.  For more information, visit: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/pcs/bus-credit-refund.aspx.

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FMCSA 10-4

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Media Contact

Duane DeBruyne
FMCSA
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20590

United States

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  2. FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle and also Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public FMCSA safety and security private investigators discovered that STSC Transportation had actually fallen short to make certain that its buses were methodically examined, fixed, and also sustained, and also that the business had actually fallen short to guarantee that its vehicle drivers were effectively certified as well as accredited. STSC Transportation had actually been mentioned for not giving lots of needed and also important safety and security associated documents which were not kept at the firm’s signed up Atlanta address. STSC had actually consistently been pointed out throughout evaluations on 6 events for proceeding to run buses after being positioned out of solution for significant security offenses. Failing to carry out necessary arbitrary examinations for liquor as well as controlled substance usage by vehicle drivers. Failing to make certain that its motorists adhered to government hours-of-service constraints to protect against tired driving.”FMCSA private investigators function faithfully throughout the nation to stop accidents from happening by closing down bus firms that place their travelers as well as the public at danger,” stated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. Customers that acquired a ticket on a bus firm that FMCSA has actually just recently positioned out-of-service could be qualified to a charge from their charge card firm under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit history card. FMCSA safety and security detectives located that STSC Transportation had actually fallen short to make sure that its buses were methodically checked, fixed, and also sustained, as well as that the business had actually fallen short to make certain that its vehicle drivers were effectively certified and also accredited. STSC Transportation had actually been mentioned for not offering lots of called for and also important safety and security associated documents which were not kept at the business’s signed up Atlanta address. STSC had actually consistently been pointed out throughout assessments on 6 celebrations for proceeding to run buses after being put out of solution for major safety and security offenses.”FMCSA detectives function vigilantly throughout the nation to protect against collisions from happening by closing down bus business that place their travelers and also the public at danger,” claimed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. Customers that purchased a ticket on a bus business that FMCSA has actually just recently put out-of-service could be qualified to a credit history from their credit rating card firm under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit history card. ...
  3. FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle as well as Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public FMCSA safety and security private investigators discovered that STSC Transportation had actually fallen short to guarantee that its buses were methodically evaluated, fixed, as well as preserved, and also that the business had actually fallen short to guarantee that its vehicle drivers were effectively certified and also certified. STSC Transportation had actually been pointed out for not offering lots of needed as well as essential security associated documents which were not preserved at the firm’s signed up Atlanta address. STSC had actually continuously been mentioned throughout examinations on 6 events for proceeding to run buses after being put out of solution for significant security infractions. Failing to perform necessary arbitrary examinations for liquor as well as controlled substance usage by motorists. Failing to make sure that its motorists adhered to government hours-of-service restrictions to stop tired driving.”FMCSA detectives function vigilantly throughout the nation to protect against accidents from happening by closing down bus business that place their travelers and also the public at threat,” claimed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. Customers that got a ticket on a bus firm that FMCSA has actually lately positioned out-of-service could be qualified to a charge from their credit rating card business under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit rating card. FMCSA safety and security detectives discovered that STSC Transportation had actually fallen short to guarantee that its buses were methodically evaluated, fixed, and also preserved, and also that the business had actually fallen short to guarantee that its motorists were appropriately certified and also certified. STSC Transportation had actually been mentioned for not offering numerous needed and also important safety and security associated documents which were not kept at the firm’s signed up Atlanta address. STSC had actually repetitively been pointed out throughout assessments on 6 events for proceeding to run buses after being positioned out of solution for major safety and security infractions.”FMCSA private investigators function vigilantly throughout the nation to avoid collisions from happening by closing down bus business that place their travelers and also the public at threat,” claimed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. Customers that got a ticket on a bus firm that FMCSA has actually lately put out-of-service might be qualified to a credit rating from their credit rating card firm under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit history card. ...
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