PUC Lifts Trailways’ State Charter License

The license of Trailways Bus System to operate charter buses within the state has been suspended by the Public Utilities Commission after a series of California Highway Patrol inspections turned up numerous mechanical safety violations, officials of both state agencies said Friday.

The PUC order does not affect the company’s regularly scheduled in-state or its charter trips out of state.

But the bus company and the PUC staff on Friday disagreed on whether the commission’s action against the firm’s intrastate charter permit means that Trailways must immediately cease operating all of its charter buses in California.

At the company’s Dallas headquarters, spokesman Roger Rydell conceded that the order “significantly affects our business in California.” But he insisted that Trailways still may operate some charters inside California under the license held by another division of the company. He could not estimate what percentage of the inside-California charter business is prohibited.

PUC spokeswoman Carol Kretzer said that she does not believe that Trailways could continue to operate any charters in California. “The effect is statewide,” she said.

Trailways may reapply for its permit to operate charter buses within the state. It would have to correct defects in brakes, steering systems, lighting and other equipment cited by CHP inspectors during safety checks made at PUC request as part of the routine license renewal procedure.

In recommending that the intrastate charter license be suspended, the CHP told PUC officials that its inspectors had checked 22 Trailways buses in Los Angeles and ordered 11 of them taken out of service, most for “eminently hazardous mechanical conditions.”

In addition, the CHP said, the preventive maintenance records kept on the buses were unsatisfactory and did not reflect the actual condition of the vehicles.

During an inspection on July 11, the CHP said, it was noted that company mechanics were making their own “pre-inspections,” repairing faulty items ahead of the CHP team. Even at that, the CHP told the PUC staff, 26 violations were found that day and one of the six buses being inspected was taken out of service.

The inspection resumed four days later in a parking area where the company’s mechanics did not have the opportunity to make quick repairs ahead of time. On that day, the CHP inspectors said, they noted 40 mechanical violations, including 24 brake system problems. Nine of the 10 buses inspected that day were taken out of service.

Maintenance Program

The CHP said it found that all nine buses were listed as having been through the company’s preventive maintenance within the previous five days, indicating that the program was ineffective.

Rydell said the company hopes to meet early next week with both the PUC and CHP.