American authorites have ordered the Coquitlam bus company involved in an Oregon crash that killed nine people and injured 38 others to cease its U.S. operations.
Mi Joo Tour & Travel had its authority to provide passenger service in the states revoked Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“The safety of all travelers on our highways and roads remains our highest priority,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “We will move quickly to shut down bus companies that do not operate safely.”
An investigation into the Dec. 30 crash in Oregon found the bus driver, Haeng Kyu Hwan of Surrey, was driving after having been on duty for “well beyond the maximum of 70 service hours permitted under U.S. federal regulations.”
The company “failed to take basic measure to ensure that its drivers are properly rested for safe vehicle operations,” the news release said.
FMCSA investigators also found the company has repeatedly scheduled drivers on trips with no regard to hours of service requirements, did not have safety practices in place to monitor and control its drivers, and has been fined for failure to meet certain U.S. drug and alcohol testing requirements.
Police have determined the bus was heading west on Interstate 84 when it collided with a concrete barrier bordering the left shoulder of the traffic lane.
The bus then veered across two westbound lanes, went through a guardrail and plunged 60 metres down an embankment before it came to a rest.
Some of the passengers were ejected from the bus, while others were pinned inside the vehicle and had to await rescue.
