Illegal Utah Bus Company Shut Down

Utah-based passenger carrier Serv-A-Bus, LLC, USDOT No. 1161287, has been declared an imminent hazard to public safety and has been ordered to immediately cease all interstate and intrastate passenger transportation operations, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

FMCSA investigators found that Serv-A-Bus, as recently as last month, continued to transport passengers, primarily students, despite a January 2013 cease operations order and revocation of its USDOT registration after receiving an unsatisfactory safety rating by federal regulators.

“Safety is our top priority and we will not tolerate this kind of callous disregard for public safety by any transportation provider,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These violations are especially egregious considering the company was transporting students despite being ordered to stop all operations.”

FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order for Serv-A-Bus and its owner is based upon their widespread disregard of federal safety regulations, the safety of passengers, and of the motoring public.

In February 2014, the Beaver, Utah, High School speech and debate team was traveling to Berkeley, Calif., on a bus whose operation was under the control of Gene Brady, the owner of Serv-A-Bus. The driver drove far in excess of federal maximum hours of service limits. In addition, components of the bus, including some mirrors, a bumper, and the luggage compartment doors, were secured to the vehicle by elastic cords, and the driver was observed engaging in unsafe driving maneuvers. Before the initial leg of the trip was completed, the adult coaches and chaperones contacted the school to arrange alternative transportation due to the unsafe behavior of the driver and the poor mechanical condition of the vehicle. The next morning, on its return trip to Utah, with no passengers aboard, the bus experienced engine problems, caught fire, and was engulfed in flames on the roadside of Interstate 80 in Placer County, Calif. No injuries were reported as a result of the vehicle fire.

Source: FMCSA