As a personal injury lawyer, I believe that the problem of “reincarnation” of bus companies after they have been shut down is one of the most serious safety issues that places passengers at risk of injury or wrongful death in accidents.A Georgia-based bus company has been shut down by the US Department of Transportation, for operating under a new name.
According to the Department of Transportation, its officers had found the bus company operating under a new name after it had earlier been shut down for unsafe operations.The company, earlier known as JCT Motor Coach, had been shut down after federal officials found several safety violations.The company then reincarnated itself under a new name, JT Travel and Charter.According to the US Department of Transportation, this company is a serious hazard to public safety.The company is under order to cease operations immediately.
According to the agency, its officers pulled over one of the company’s buses at a stop, and found so many violations, that they decided to pay the company a visit.There, they found even more violations, and decided to order the company to stop operations.According to the Department Of Transportation, some of the company’s violations included a failure to ensure that its fleet of vehicles was properly inspected, and underwent regular maintenance and repairs.The company also used medically unqualified drivers and drivers who had failed alcohol and drug tests.Besides, JCT Motor Coach had also been cited for not complying with the federal Hours of Work requirement for bus drivers.The company had also falsified vehicle maintenance records.
That is a terrible laundry list of violations, and it includes just about every bus safety hazard out there.It’s no wonder that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chose to order JCT Motor Coach off the roads.However, the bus company seems to have had no trouble resuming operations under a different name.
“Reincarnation” in the bus industry refers to a bus company re-emerging after it has been shut down under a new name and address and continuing operations as before.It shouldn’t be so easy for an unsafe bus operator to reemerge with a new identity and continue operations as before.However, loopholes in federal bus safety laws have allowed an unknown number of such bus companies to continue to operate under a new identity after they have been ordered off the street for unsafe operations.
When a bus company is ordered off the streets by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an Atlanta bus accident attorney can be very sure that the company has too many violations to its credit for it to be allowed to operate on a highway.For instance, in this particular case, JCT Motor Coach had a terrible safety record.
Passengers may be at risk of serious injuries in an accident when they travel in buses that have already been previously shut down for safety violations.It’s good to see that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is cracking down harder on such practices by unsafe bus companies.