Yosemite National Park (CA)
Park Hosts Interagency Commercial Bus Inspections
On June 14th and 15th, Yosemite held a surprise two-day joint agency bus inspection that focused on commercial tour buses operating within park boundaries. The bus inspections were completed jointly by rangers, inspectors from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, representatives from the California Public Utilities Commission Enforcement Division, and law enforcement officers from the California Highway Patrol, San Francisco Police Department and Modesto Police Department. A total of 65 buses were inspected. Thirty-two buses were found to have no violations; the remaining 33 were found to have a total of 73 violations, ranging from mechanical deficiencies to a variety of driver-related violations. Three drivers were placed out of service for driver's license and logbook violations and four buses were placed out of service for serious mechanical deficiencies, including three with defective brakes. Two buses were found to have cracked brake rotors on their drive wheels and one bus was discovered to have oil on its alternator, which could cause an engine fire. The park has been hosting these surprise bus inspections twice each year for over ten years. Yosemite’s program has gained national recognition and is emulated by other agencies and parks around the country. Through the efforts of dedicated NPS managers, staff, and partner agency team members, hundreds of buses have been thoroughly inspected and thousands of safety-related violations have been discovered and corrected, further enhancing the safety of the traveling public on federally managed lands.