The Suffolk County Police Motor Carrier Safety Section, in conjunction with the Southold Town Police Department and the New York Department of Transportation, conducted inspections of passenger-carrying vehicles on November 8 and placed two out of service for non-compliance.
During the initiative, officers conducted traffic stops of 23 passenger-carrying vehicles for hire on the Long Island Expressway and in Southold Town. Of those, 10 vehicles were inspected and two were placed out of service for non-compliance with state and federal regulations.
Consumers are urged to avoid illegal for-hire operators of stretch limousines, sprinter vans, and buses. Warning signs include passenger registration plates, temporary registration plates, or lack of company information displayed on the exterior of vehicles.
For-hire passenger vehicles with passenger seating capacities of eight or more passengers require the carrier’s company name and USDOT registration number to be clearly displayed on both sides of the vehicle. Additionally, these vehicles are required to display a diamond-shaped New York State Department of Transportation safety inspection decal and the New York State DMV registration decal, both of which are required to be affixed to the lower passenger side of the windshield.
Consumers can check company safety records at the New York Department of Transportation website BUSNET database at https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/bus/busnet.