The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Friday, June 3, said it issued a cease and desist order against Sky Express Inc. after finding that the bus company was attempting to operate and sell tickets under a different company name, including 108 Tours and 108 Bus. The order is effective immediately.
On Tuesday, May 31, FMCSA issued an unsatisfactory safety rating and placed North Carolina-based bus company Sky Express out of service for violating multiple federal safety regulations. Under the out-of-service order, Sky Express is prohibited from operating interstate and intrastate commerce. Sky Express was involved in a fatal crash on Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg, Va., that killed four people on Tuesday, May 31.
“We are relentlessly targeting unsafe and illegal bus companies,” says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This action sends a strong message that the U.S. Department of Transportation will utilize every legal and enforcement tool available to shut down unsafe bus companies and protect passengers and motorists.”
Additionally, as part of FMCSA’s investigation of Sky Express and its commitment to pursue enforcement action against renamed bus companies, the agency has subpoenaed the records of three Internet Websites that have sold tickets for Sky Express and several other bus companies. Those Websites are www.gotobus.com, www.taketours.com and www.2001bus.com.
“Every day, across the country, we are focused on getting bad actors off the road,” says FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “Our goal is to create a tight net of enforcement so that when consumers select a bus company and purchase a ticket, they can be confident their bus trip will be a safe one.”
