ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's administration said on Monday that each of eight companies facing suspension failed three or more roadside inspections of buses or drivers in the last six months. The administration's order, which for the first time suspends New York companies' licenses, will sideline about 100 buses within five days.

The companies are Best Trails and Travel Corporation of Brooklyn; Party Ride of Brentwood; A&W Tours of Bellport; Touch of Class and Coach of Wyandanch; Silver Star Limo Company of Yonkers; Zoladz Limousine Service of Depew; Long Island Limousine Service Corporation of Hauppauge; and Big Apple Bus Charter of Brooklyn.

The owner of Long Island Limousine, Perry Stuart, said his buses had clean records. The owner of Silver Star, Mario Da Rocha, said his buses had passed the last two inspections with no problems. An official at Party Ride said he did not think the order involved his company. Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment or could not be contacted.

Bus company owners hit with the impending suspensions are questioning the procedures and lack of paperwork, as reported in a Wall Street Journal article, "Bus Companies Hit With NY Suspensions Fight Back."

Meanwhile, a report in the online version of The Trucker trade newspaper indicates the suspensions were issued at least partially based on an emergency rulemaking that had been created the same day. What’s more, based on information provided by the governor’s office, the state of New York apparently has not been reporting all inspections to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration despite the fact that all the bus companies whose licenses were suspended have interstate operating authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation, The Trucker reported. Full article here: "Emergency rule allows suspension of N.Y. bus companies."

The stepped-up enforcement followed several fatal bus crashes this year. In March, a crash in the Bronx killed 15 passengers who were returning to Manhattan from an overnight trip to a casino in Connecticut, and last week, a bus crash in upstate New York killed two people.

Source: New York Times