Bus Firm Pledges Closer Screening of Drivers

A company whose school bus driver was arrested on drunk driving charges has told Los Angeles school officials it will do a better job of investigating job applicants.

The driver, Harold Keith Lone, was employed by Laidlaw Transit and transported students under the company’s contract with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Lone used a license obtained under an alias, enabling him to conceal a long criminal history and at least four convictions for drunk driving, state Department of Justice officials said.

A Laidlaw official said the company will ask applicants the date their driver’s license was issued and check for any previous licenses they might have held, even in other states. The clean California driving record Lone submitted went back only two years, the official said.