Legal news for New York Motor Vehicle Accident lawyers—TCI school buses to be recalled after failure to meet NHSTA regulations.
New York, NY (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – The school bus company Transportation Collaborative Inc. (TCI) of Warwick, N.Y. was to recall 6000 defective school buses due to serious safety hazards for children that ride the bus every day across the nation, announced WHDH-TV.
There have been 15 nation-wide recalls for the company’s defective buses since 2001 that have been ignored. TCI has been accused by the federal government of avoiding necessary safety recalls by changing the name of their company. The company is currently recognized in business as Trans Tech Bus.
The New York-based company recently decided to comply with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) www.nhsta.gov to repair the defective vehicles throughout the nation. T
he school buses have potentially dangerous defects that range from dysfunctional brake lights, faulty exits and wheelchair lifts, failure of stop arms, seat back impact barriers and body panel joints, which violate the government’s Vehicle Safety Act for all manufactured motor vehicles.
The small school buses were manufactured by the company U.S. Bus, based in Suffern, N.Y., where TCI brought their assets a few years ago. The companies currently “have continuity of ownership, management, personnel, assets, and general business operations”, according to NHSTA.
NHTSA canceled a public hearing last week to determine whether or not TCI had in fact notified the bus owners and wholesalers to inform them of the plan to repair the damaged school buses.
TCI claimed that it was not entirely responsible for the former owner U.S. Bus company’s defective vehicles, even through TCI claimed all of the U.S. Bus’s assets. TCI has agreed to pay the federal government $20,000, even without a formal investigation. The government will fine TCI a Civic penalty fee of $100,000, if the company fails to make the recalls.
Bridget Hom
NewYorkInjuryNews.com