FMCSA Declares Super Luxury Tours, Inc. an Imminent Hazard to Public Safety and Orders the Bus Company to Immediately Cease All Operations |
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
March 31, 2011
FMCSA 08-11
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Contact: Candice Tolliver
Tel: (202) 366-9999 or (202) 306-4580
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today declared Pennsylvania-based bus company Super Luxury Tours, Inc. an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the company to immediately cease all intrastate and interstate transportation services.
The imminent hazard order is based on a comprehensive safety compliance review of the company's entire operations conducted by FMCSA with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). Federal and state authorities continue to investigate the fatal March 14 New Jersey turnpike crash involving a bus operated by Super Luxury Tours.
"Safety is our number one priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "It is absolutely essential that reckless and unsafe bus companies like this are immediately removed from our roads."
FMCSA can declare a commercial motor carrier to be an imminent hazard if it finds that the carrier's operations pose a substantial likelihood of serious injury or death. FMCSA's safety compliance review of Super Luxury Tours found the company in serious violation of multiple federal safety regulations in the areas of drug and alcohol testing compliance, driver hours-of-service rules, driver medical certification requirements, and vehicle maintenance and other areas.
"This case makes it crystal clear that FMCSA will not tolerate unsafe passenger bus companies that place motorists at risk," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "Working side-by-side with our Pennsylvania state partners, we took strong action to shut down this unsafe bus company."
"We are committed to working with our federal partners to help ensure the safety of the motoring public," said acting PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch, P.E. "Through this commitment, PennDOT, along with the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission work collaboratively in support of our federal partners to remove unsafe carriers from the roadways."