Schumer Wants More Discount Bus Protections For Customers

After several high-profile accidents on bus lines that serve New York City and much of the rest of the northeast, Sen. Charles Schumer is pushing a plan that would force discount bus services to display their safety records prominently.

Schumer is aiming to put the safety of bus patrons in their own hands by spearheading a set of letter-grade displays that would be prominently featured on travelling buses.

“If bus companies have a poor safety record, passengers should know about it before they purchase a ticket,” Schumer said. “It seems like every week we hear of another crash involving the discount tour bus industry. It is crucial that passengers are clearly and unambiguously alerted to a company’s safety record before they ever board a bus.”

Schumer is calling for the letter-grade ratings system to operate like the current New York City rating system for restaurants, which compels businesses to prominently display brightly-colored letters from A to C, which allows consumers to make a more educated decision.

.  One other passenger was also killed in that accident.

The accident, which was the second in less than a week, crystallized for many the dangerous conditions which can arise when bus drivers are forced to work long hours on the road.

A previous accident in the Bronx claimed fifteen lives in March. Schumer said that in both cases, the bus companies were operating with numerous safety violations on their records.