The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Wednesday, March 30, placed Pennsylvania-based passenger bus company Super Luxury Tours out-of-service and suspended the company’s U.S. Department of Transportation operating authority for violating insurance requirements for commercial motor carriers.
On March 14, Super Luxury Tours was involved in a fatal New Jersey Turnpike crash that killed two people, and FMCSA’s investigation of the bus company’s involvement in the crash is ongoing. Under the out-of-service order, Super Luxury Tours is prohibited from operating in interstate transportation services.
“Safety is our number one priority,” says Anne Ferro, FMCSA administrator. “FMCSA will use every available resource to pursue and shut down passenger bus companies that evade federal safety regulations and put motorists at risk.”
An imminent hazard order later was issued against Super Luxury Tours, one that FMCSA said was based on a comprehensive safety compliance review of the company’s entire operations with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
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.
“We are committed to working with our federal partners to help ensure the safety of the motoring public,” said acting PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch. “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.”
