Company in fatal bus explosion flew under radar, officials say

October 1, 2005

DALLAS -- Federal and state officials said Friday they had no way of knowing the severity of financial and other problems at the company that operated a bus that caught fire last week near Dallas, killing 23 nursing home evacuees.

Customers and others familiar with Global Limo Inc. of Pharr had complained that its buses smelled of fuel and had dangerously poor brakes. The owner filed for bankruptcy in February.

Still, when federal emergency officials were looking for buses to take people out of Houston and away from Hurricane Rita, they contacted a bus broker who in turned hired Global.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration keeps a database of bus companies but does not have a "do not call" list, officials said. Even if such a list existed, it's doubtful Global would have appeared on it because federal regulators gave it a satisfactory rating in 2004, they added.

DPS Trooper Monty Dial said the fire has prompted a review to see how agencies could be better informed about troubled operators.

The DPS had found several problems in a 2002 review of Global, including no evidence that qualified people were conducting brake inspections, but took no action against the company, which had legal authority to operate in Texas.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/NEWS01/510010364/1060


Funny how the freepers are staying quiet about this one.

Let's hear it for good old American ingenuity.

a chicken.

:rofl:

SPIT IT OUT!!!

:D

after all, ensuring safe vehicles on the road is just another impediment to free enterprise.

Time to shut down the FDA next....

He's a serial killer you know!