Yosemite Photos, Video and News

Surprise Bus Inspection Conducted in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol
(CHP), held a surprise inspection for all commercial for hire multiple
passenger tour buses in Yosemite National Park last Friday, September 24,
2010.  The purpose of this unannounced inspection was to ensure visitor
safety through safe operation of tour buses.  The goal of these unannounced
inspections is to reduce chances of crashes, injuries, and fatalities
involving tour buses bringing passengers into the park.

Roadside inspections adhere to the guidelines of the North American
Standard for bus safety.  There are five levels of inspections including a
vehicle component, a driver component, or a combination of both.
Inspections are designed to determine if buses are in compliance with the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.  Violations may result in fines
or taking a bus out of service immediately.

Yosemite National Park receives approximately 4 million visitors per year,
with approximately 300,000 of these people arriving on tour buses.  The
large majority of tour bus passengers are international visitors from
countries such as Japan, Korea, Germany, and England.  Many of these
visitors come to Yosemite in conjunction with visiting other parts of
California.  It is a primary concern of the National Park Service (NPS) in
Yosemite that these visitors are safe during their travels in the park.
Further, the extensive travels of international visitors throughout the
state affords the opportunity for cooperating agencies to work together to
promote bus safety.  Yosemite National Park and the CHP strive to ensure
visitor safety and appreciate the mutual support of the other agencies
involved in these surprise bus inspections.

On the day of inspection, Yosemite Park Rangers and CHP Officers examined
30 commercial buses.  Out of the 30 inspections conducted, 18 buses were
found to be safe, with no violations, and were released without citation.
A total of 12 minor “fix-it” tickets were written.  Of those 12, three were
for logbook failures.  Additionally, two buses were taken temporarily out
of service for logbook violations.  No buses were taken out of service for
mechanical deficiencies.

Surprise bus inspections have been occurring on a regular basis throughout
the State of California.  These inspections help to keep commercial bus
passengers safe, as well as other travelers on the road.