Tour bus similar to ones inspected in Yosemite. Photo by Paul Sullivan.
Over a period of five days of inspections, Yosemite Law Enforcement Rangers, CHP Patrol Officers, and Commercial Carrier Safety Inspectors examined 153 commercial buses. Of 153 inspections, 47 buses were found to be safe and were released with no citation, 55 received minor fix-it tickets, 35 were given written citations and 27 verbal warnings were given for mechanical deficiencies. A total of 22 buses were placed out of service for mechanical deficiencies and 10 bus drivers were ordered out of service for logbook violations.
The inspections are part of a bus safety program started in 2009 by the National Park Service, California Highway Patrol and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to remove buses from service that pose a danger to visitors and reduce chances of crashes, injuries and fatalities.
All of the busses inspected were operated by companies outside Yosemite National Park and not part of the fleet of busses operated by Delaware North Company. More inspections are expected to take place through out the busy summer.
(via NPS)