Supervisor Hahn Seeks Full Investigation and Replacement of Buses after KCBS Report on Burning Metro Buses in South Bay
Supervisor Janice Hahn is calling for the dangerous buses to be replaced and for a complete investigation into the incidents.
San Pedro, CA—Today, in response to a KCBS news report on at least seven incidents of Metro buses catching on fire, Supervisor Janice Hahn is calling for the dangerous buses to be replaced and for a complete investigation into the incidents.
An investigative report by David Goldstein which aired Tuesday night revealed that 52 of Metro’s oldest buses run on diesel fuel and operate in the South Bay. The report revealed that seven of these buses have caught on fire in the past several years, one as recently as this past August, and according to the news report, bus drivers reported additional problems. While these are Metro buses, they are operated under a contract with MV Transportation, a private transportation company.
“The footage CBS has is shocking,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I am concerned about the safety of the bus drivers and the passengers who ride these buses regularly. Not only do I want these buses replaced, I also want a full investigation into these incidents.”
Metro has said that these older diesel buses are scheduled to be replaced by next summer, however given these recent incidents, Supervisor Hahn wants them replaced sooner.
Supervisor Hahn is offering a motion for consideration at the upcoming Metro Board of Directors Meeting. It directs the Metro CEO to:
- Expedite the replacement of all 52 diesel buses operating in the South Bay region ahead of Metro’s current schedule, to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
- Fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the incidents whereby 7 of these buses caught fire, how driver complaints about safety issues were handled and an explanation as to why the Board was not informed of these incidents.
- Conduct a full review of Metro’s contract with MV Transportation, including maintenance, quality control and driver safety issues.
- Conduct a full review of Metro’s practice of contracting bus services out, and advise as to the feasibility of Metro directly providing bus services instead of through contractors.
If the motion passes, Metro will report back to the board on the directives in 30 days.
To watch the KCBS report click here.