New York Bus Drivers Cannot Take the Wheel Without a Criminal Background Check

Published on July 11th, 2011
Written by Public Record Finder Staff

Safety continues to prevail as new legislation seeks to protect the public. Bus transportation in New York is the next sector to jump on the background check bandwagon. Recently, the state passed a bill that requires all bus drivers to pass a criminal background check before getting behind the wheel.

Sadly, as with most safety measures, many new laws are enacted only after a tragedy ensues. The bill was enforced after several buses crashed that were manned by drivers who possessed histories of criminal driving convictions.

In March, 2011, a bus crashed killing 15 people. An investigation into the crash revealed the criminal record of the bus driver which uncovered his time in prison for manslaughter, forgery crimes and his license suspension after ignoring numerous speeding tickets and driving without a license.

A concerned local official decided to take action to keep the people of New York safe. Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. is the Chairman of the Senate's Transportation Committee. He sponsored S5171B, the bill that would require the checks to be performed on bus drivers prior to employment. A concerned Fuschillo states, "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."

Fuschillo understands that the existence of bus drivers with criminal histories poses a real problem. "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", he said.

The new bill states that new bus drivers must submit to a criminal background check before taking the wheel. Current bus drivers will also be required to submit to a check when their license is up for renewal. Presently, only school bus drivers undergo these procedures, but following the enactment of the legislation, the same will apply to all bus drivers within New York State. Additionally, during the background check inspection, new bus drivers will be placed in a 90 day conditional period until their records are clear.

Though these measures often materialize only when tragedy strikes, we can be thankful these issues are being addressed. Hopefully the residents of New York can feel safe riding buses in their state. Here's hoping this legislation will extend to all states in the near future.