Senate Passes Bill To Safeguard Against “Terror” Bus Drivers

Albany, NY (WIBX) -The Senate passed a bill requiring all bus drivers to submit to a criminal background check. The legislation, (S5171B), sponsored by Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Senator Charles Fuschillo, (R-Merrick) is now headed to the Assembly for consideration.

Senator Joseph Griffo, (R-Rome) says it comes on the heels of several fatal bus accidents, and if the bill becomes law, it will expand the current standard. "This requirement currently applies only to school bus drivers, so it would expand that to other bus drivers. There has been a number of incidents that have taken place--terrible accidents--and as a result of those accidents, the investigations have found that there have been some issues that should have been and could have addressed through having more of an extensive review of the driver," he said.

If the measure passes in the Assembly, it will require bus couriers to request the Department of Motor Vehicles initiate a background check for all the drivers that are hired or rehired. According to the report from Fuschillo's office, Drivers would also be subjected to a 90 day conditional period while the background check is being undertaken. And all current bus drivers would submit to a criminal background check the next time they renew their commercial driver's license. "Obviously it would make it safer for the passengers as well as on the roads," Griffo said.

In a released statement, Fuschillo said, "Bus drivers literally hold their passengers' lives and safety in their hands; those passengers should be able to trust that the driver is qualified to handle that responsibility. Bus companies deserve to have all the relevant information about a driver's background when they decide to make that driver responsible for passengers' safety. Helping to weed out drivers who don't belong behind the wheel of a bus will help improve safety for bus passengers and everyone else on the roads."