Disability Access Laws Must Be Enforced on Buses (it took an act of Congress)

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/12/27/disability-access-laws-must-be-enforced-on-buses/

by James Parks, Dec 27, 2007

ou’ve seen them on downtown street corners, picking up passengers, offering cheap trips to another city. These so-called “curbside buses” are growing rapidly. Because they pick up and drop off passengers from downtown curbsides—and not from a centralized bus terminal—they are harder to inspect and remain virtually unregulated.

But earlier this month that began to change. The House of Representatives passed a bill that instructs the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to require intercity bus companies to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when it grants and renews operating licenses. Larger carriers such as Greyhound and Peter Pan already comply with the ADA requirements.

Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, says:

It is surprising that it takes an act of Congress to force this administration to enforce well-established laws designed to protect people with disabilities. This is an important step in the right direction toward ensuring access to all people.

Companies that don’t abide by these laws shouldn’t be allowed to operate on our highways. And passengers shouldn’t be put in a position where they unwittingly use the services of bus companies that ignore the rights of passengers with disabilities.

FULL story at link.