ANAHEIM : Court Tells Bus Line to Suspend Service

A tour bus company was ordered to suspend operation when its owner pleaded guilty in Municipal Court to charges of poor bus maintenance and making his drivers work exceedingly long shifts, the California Highway Patrol said Thursday.

Ben Liao, owner of Shine Holiday Inc., was ordered Wednesday to pay a $500 fine and to stop operating the 12 buses at his Anaheim terminal until the violations are corrected, according to CHP Officer Angel Johnson.

Many of Liao’s buses were “accidents waiting to happen” because they were handled by tired drivers or had maintenance problems, Johnson said. The CHP began investigating the firm last year.

Liao must let CHP officials inspect his records at any time as a condition of his two-year probation.

His company caters mostly to Asian tourists and takes travelers all over the country. He could not be reached for comment Thursday. Company employees also declined to speak to a reporter.

The CHP said that during two visits to the bus company, inspectors found violations that included brakes that were inoperable or out of adjustment, worn tire treads, maintenance delayed by 90 to 120 days, missing drivers’ logs, and that drivers had worked excessive hours. Drivers are not supposed to work more than 10 hours in any 15-hour period, according to CHP officials, but some of Liao’s driver’s reportedly told investigators they sometimes drove for up to 36 hours without the required eight-hour rest period.

Liao’s company is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the Highway Patrol, but Special Agent Deloris Skipper said Thursday that she could not discuss any details other than to confirm an investigation is under way.

David Massa, a CHP motor carrier specialist, said he found 49 driver hours violations during his first inspection last October at Shine Holiday’s 1110 E. Katella Ave. location.

Massa said he also found that few of the drivers were enrolled in the state’s Pull Notice Program, which tells an employer whether someone’s driver’s license is in good standing.