CBS4 News Takes Center Stage
Oct 20, 2009 6:43 pm US/Eastern
Exclusive: School Bus Drivers Caught In Crackdown
Miami Springs Police target privately-contracted buses with safety defects
30 percent of buses are taken off the road
MIAMI SPRINGS (CBS4) ―
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Private school bus drivers were surprised by inspectors on Thursday in Miami-Dade County.
CBS
Tuesday early morning held a surprise for school bus drivers in this city, as part of an operation police say is aimed at saving lives. They say it points to some countywide problems with private contractors who take children to and from schools.
It was an operation that started just after 8 a.m., when the operators of the privately-contracted buses dropped off their last precious cargo of the morning: the children at Miami Springs Middle School.
CBS4 News watched exclusively as Miami Springs Police and enforcement officers from the Passenger Transportation Regulatory Division of the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department stopped 24 buses. Seven drivers were cited for safety violations that included defective brake lights, seats that were broken, ripped seat pads and tires so bald that the buses were in danger of having life-threatening blow-outs on the road.
All of the drivers were told they could not pick up children until the problems were fixed and the buses had been re-inspected. Some were subject to fines.
To ensure that happened,
CBS4's Peter D'Oench watched as police checked the afternoon pickup at Miami Springs High School. Four of the seven cited drivers had fixed their problems. The other three drivers may have found other drivers to pick up their afternoon route, said Officer Dan Kelly, of the Coral Springs Police Department.
"I think they were paying attention," Kelly said. "Although I did see two students who had to walk home from the high school. It's possible their driver was cited and had not found someone to cover his route."
The crackdown is done at least twice a year in Miami Springs. This operation happened on the second day of National Bus Safety Week. Police feel their vigilance is paying off. During a similar operation last year, 60 percent of the buses checked for safety violations were taken off the road. This year, that percentage dropped to 30 percent.
"These are privately-contracted buses," said Kelly. "They are not held to the same standards that Dade County school buses have to adhere to. Some of these private buses are 20 years old."
CBS4 News followed police as they checked the interior of the buses. "You get a separation," said Ivan Cotayo, a Lead Enforcement Officer with the Passenger Transportation Regulatory Division.
"These are violations," said Officer Kelly, pointing to torn and shredded seats on another bus. "These seat pads should be free of holes and tears."
Kelly and officers also checked for decals showing the buses had passed previous inspections and for defective brake lights and for bald tires.
"They are carrying kids," said Kelly. "If one light goes out and another light goes out and someone doesn't realize that, and someone runs into the back of a bus, well, we're talking about kids."
"Tires that get thin can blow out," said Kelly. "And that can cause a bus to roll over."
D'Oench spoke to a number of drivers. Fedelina Hasall said she passed an inspection in August. But she was cited for a second time in the past year.
D'Oench asked her, "You had the same problem last year, with bad tires?"
Hasall responded, "Yeah, I had bad tires." When D'Oench asked her what happened, she responded, "I don't know."
Bus driver Xiomara Gonzalez was aware she was driving with bad tires. "I know they are bad. I put the better tires from the back on the front and the bad tires on the back."
Most bus drivers and parents
CBS4 News spoke with applauded the crackdown.
"Protection for people," said bus driver Nelson Marin, who was not cited. "It's correct."
Driver Jose Rivera, who was also not cited, said, "The security for the children, the muchachos. It's a good idea."
After he dropped off his two children at Miami Springs Middle School, George Hernandez said of the operation, "It's a good thing that police are checking these things."
Miami Spring's Police Chief, Peter Baan, hopes the operation sends a message. "We're just trying to keep the kids safe and make sure our buses operate safely."
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