An Amazing 40% of Texas Charter Bus Companies Banned From Operating
The news surrounding our charter bus industry here in Texas seems to get worse every day. It all started with the tragic Sherman, Texas bus wreck which killed 17 innocent churchgoers from Houston. Soon thereafter, we started to learn about how the bus was operating illegally and how that horrible accident was easily preventable. Then, this week it came out that over the last 24 months, over 200 motor coach operators have had their authorizations to operate on Texas road revoked, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (“TXDOT”). That is an amazing 40% of all bus companies operating in Texas. Now, there are about 300 companies currently authorized to carry customers in Texas.
But the question remains: How may operators have resurfaced under another name, thereby disregarding the fact that their license has been revoked? That is what happened with the owner of the bus involved in the Sherman wreck. A company called Angel Tours lost its right to operate, so the owner reformed the company and called it Iguala BusMex. As I wrote about in Dallas Bus Company Ordered to Quit Operating, Green River Buses of Dallas was order to quit operating in April, so the owner renamed the company Autobuses Rio Verde, and started operating buses again. I know the government and the several federal and state agencies that deal with road safety are working on this "resurfacing" problem, but it has to be solved, and soon.
For some of my other thoughts on how to make traveling on buses safer, read Predictable News: Tragic Sherman Bus Wreck Easily Preventable.
