LOS ANGELES AIRPORT : Surprise Check Finds 19 LAX Shuttle Vans Unsafe

Nineteen of 78 shuttle vans inspected Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport were declared unsafe and ordered out of service, a California Highway Patrol sergeant said.

The CHP and the Public Utilities Commission staged the surprise inspection at the airport shuttle van holding lot at Alverstone Avenue and 96th Street, said CHP Sgt. Ernie Garcia. Inspectors examined the brakes, steering, suspension, tires, frames and exhaust systems, and also checked to see if the drivers were properly licensed, Garcia said.

Thirty-two of the vans had no violations and 27 others had minor violations not considered safety hazards, so they remained in service, Garcia said. Inspectors found 74 violations of varying degrees of severity, and 24 of the problems involving steering systems, Garcia said.

In all, 33 drivers were cited for vehicle violations. Four drivers had no license in their possession, but it was unclear if they were unlicensed, Garcia said.

In a similar operation recently, citations were issued on 31 vehicles, 10 of which were taken out of service, and two drivers were ticketed for driver’s license violations, Garcia said.