Representatives of the bus travel industry told federal regulators Monday that hours-of-service rules for interstate bus drivers need not be changed, while drivers asked for more restrictions, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
The comments came during a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration listening session in Grapevine, Texas, in which the agency sought input on the current hours-of-service rules for motorcoach drivers.
Bus industry speakers asked for better enforcement of the current rules, saying a small number of companies break the rules, the Star-Telegram said. But drivers complained of long hours, especially driving for charter groups that prefer to travel at night.
Interstate bus drivers’ hours of service differ from truck drivers’. They can drive up to 10 hours in a 15-hour shift, but the shift can be broken up into multiple parts throughout the day.
In a notice announcing the listening session in the Federal Register, FMCSA did not commit to changing rules for bus drivers.
FMCSA last month tweaked hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers, limiting use of the 34-hour restart and mandating half-hour breaks during shifts longer than eight hours.
