The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Autobuses Rio Verde of Irving, Texas, to cease operations after determining that the company was affiliated with Green River Bus, which was ordered to cease operations in April 2008.
“FMCSA takes its motorcoach oversight and safety responsibilities seriously and will continue to investigate carriers with questionable relationships to ensure our orders and regulations are followed to the fullest extent possible,” said FMCSA Administrator John Hill. “There is absolutely no tolerance for operators who attempt to game the system at the risk of endangering the traveling public.”
An investigation of Autobuses Rio Verde by FMCSA’s Texas Division revealed that the owners and operators were in violation of the April 2008 order by conducting interstate transportation as a substantial continuation of Green River Buses’ former operation. The investigation revealed that the two companies shared identification of company officials and functions, physical addresses, vehicle ownership, employee identification and operational similarities.
This is the second time in August that FMCSA has ordered an affiliated motor coach carrier to cease operations. Earlier this month, the agency declared that Liberty Charter & Tours was affiliated with Angel Tours Inc. and Iguala Busmex Inc. — both of which were put out of service on Aug. 9 following a fatal crash near Sherman, Texas — and ordered the carrier to cease its related operations.
