FMCSA Shutters Salem, Massachusetts Carrier

Today, the FMCSA announced it has put the brakes on a Salem, Massachusetts passenger carrier.

The FMCSA has ordered D’Boston Transportation, LLC, ” to immediately cease all passenger transportation services due to widespread and serious noncompliance with federal safety regulations that has endangered the lives of its drivers, passengers and the motoring public,” the agency said in a press release.

In December 2013, the FMCSA also ordered D’Family Transportation, LLC, out of service.  The FMCSA says the two carriers are closely related.

D’Boston Transportation came under scrutiny after federal investigators found that the owners of D’Boston failed to properly inspect, repair and maintain the company’s vehicles.  In addition, investigators found that D’Boston failed to ensure its drivers were qualified or that they complied with HOS regulations.

The FMCSA says D’Boston scheduled trip in such a way that it was ‘impossible’ for drivers to be in compliance with HOS.

“We demand that every commercial bus, van, and truck company operating on our highways and roads make safety their highest priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “Companies that choose to disregard the regulations and needlessly put the traveling public at risk will be shut down.”

“Companies and their drivers should have no doubt that we will vigorously enforce all federal safety regulations to the fullest extent possible,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.  “Purposely exposing the motoring public to needless risk will land you out of business.”

The findings of an investigation by a team of FMCSA safety investigators are outlined in the imminent hazard operations out-of-service available at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2014/DBostonTransportation.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: http://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.