FMCSA Shuts Down Salem, Mass., Passenger Van Company for Disregarding Safety Regulations, Endangering the Traveling Public

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Salem, Mass.-based passenger carrier D'Boston Transportation, LLC, USDOT No. 2456132, to immediately cease all passenger transportation services due to widespread and serious noncompliance with federal safety regulations that has endangered the lives of its drivers, passengers and the motoring public.  A closely related company, D'Family Transportation, LLC, USDOT No. 2332595, ordered out-of-service in Dec. 2013, was also cited in today's federal shut-down order.

"We demand that every commercial bus, van, and truck company operating on our highways and roads make safety their highest priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  "Companies that choose to disregard the regulations and needlessly put the traveling public at risk will be shut down."

Federal investigators found that the owners of D'Boston failed to ensure that its vehicles were systematically and properly inspected, repaired or maintained.  Investigators also found that the company failed to monitor and ensure that its drivers were qualified or complied with hours of service requirements.  Trips were scheduled in such a way making it impossible for drivers to reach their destination without either speeding or violating driving and on-duty limitations. 

"Companies and their drivers should have no doubt that we will vigorously enforce all federal safety regulations to the fullest extent possible," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.  "Purposely exposing the motoring public to needless risk will land you out of business."

The imminent hazard out-of-service order issued by FMCSA prohibits the D'Family and D'Boston companies, both controlled, managed, and operated by Luis Contreras, Juan Stepan, and Ramon Castillo, from commercial passenger transportation operations and it blocks the unapproved use of its buses by another company or any driver.

The findings of an investigation by a team of FMCSA safety investigators are outlined in the imminent hazard operations out-of-service available at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2014/DBostonTransportation.pdf.

As part of FMCSA's work to make safety data readily available to the traveling public, the SaferBus mobile app gives bus riders a quick and free way to review a bus company's safety record before buying a ticket or booking group travel.  The app, available for iPhone, iPad, and Android phone users, can be downloaded for free by visiting FMCSA's "Look Before You Book" webpage at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/saferbus.

Travelers planning a bus trip are also encouraged to think safety first before buying a ticket or chartering a bus by using FMCSA's multilingual passenger carrier safety checklist at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/lookbeforeyoubook.

FMCSA urges consumers and whistleblowers to report any unsafe bus company, vehicle, or driver to the agency through a toll free hotline 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) or FMCSA's consumer complaint web site: http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/HomePage.asp.

Consumers who bought a ticket on a bus company that FMCSA has recently placed out-of-service may be entitled to a credit from their credit card company under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit card.  For more information, visit: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/pcs/bus-credit-refund.aspx.

SOURCE Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration