Massachusetts Limousine Service Ordered to Shut Down Operations

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Wilmington, Mass.-based Lynette’s Limousine Service, Inc. to immediately cease all operations, declaring that its vehicles and drivers pose an imminent hazard to public safety.

Lynette’s Limousine Service operates a fleet of 20 vehicles consisting of limousines, stretch limousines, specialty vans, a motor coach and other vehicles for hire in interstate commerce.

The shut-down order follows an investigation by a team of specially trained FMCSA safety investigators established in April to conduct intensified, “quick strike” investigations of high-risk passenger carriers.

Federal investigators found that Lynette’s Limousine Service failed to systematically and properly inspect, repair or maintain its vehicles and allowed vehicles that had failed safety inspections to transport passengers. Investigators also found that company owners failed to monitor and ensure that its drivers complied with hours-of-service requirements, dispatched unqualified drivers to transport passengers and failed to ensure drivers complied with controlled substances and alcohol use testing regulations.

This action becomes the 15th out-of-service order issued by FMCSA since the deployment in April 2013 of more than 50 “Operation Quick Strike” safety investigators targeting high-risk passenger carriers.

In the past three months, FMCSA has also revoked the operating authority of nine additional bus companies following compliance review investigations that resulted in an “unsatisfactory” safety rating.

Since the beginning of 2013, FMCSA has issued out-of-service orders to a total of 22 bus companies and nine trucking companies. The agency has also declared seven commercial driver’s license holders as imminent hazards, blocking them from operating in interstate commerce.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration