District Puts Brakes On Inspection-Failing Buses

COLUMBUS, Ohio—A bus company working for Columbus City Schools will get a closer look after dozens of buses failed state patrol inspections.

NBC 4’s Paul Stelzer GOT ANSWERS on how this could affect students’ ride to school.

The state highway patrol inspected buses at W.C. Brunk, Inc., in northwest Columbus and turned up violations that put nearly two dozen of the company’s buses out of service.

The state highway patrol inspects every school bus at least twice a year: once during a scheduled inspection before the start of the school year and once randomly.

During a recent random inspection, an OSP sergeant said inspectors found “serious” violations at W.C. Brunk, Inc., a busing subcontractor for the district.

“Some of those violations included loose seats, loose handrails, taillights being out, fuel-line leaks. Those types of violations,“ said OSP Sgt. Darrin Blosser.

OSP randomly selected eight W.C. Brunk, Inc., buses to inspect Dec. 22. All of the eight buses failed inspections and were taken out of service. 

OSP returned to inspect the rest of the fleet Dec. 29, and 14 buses failed inspection and were taken out of service.

In the end, 22 of the company’s 52 buses being used in the district failed inspections, according to OSP.

Stelzer stopped at W.C. Brunk, Inc., Friday. The company’s general manager had no comment and referred all calls to Columbus City Schools. 

Mechanics must correct the problems and OSP must re-inspect the buses before they’re back in service and on the district’s roads.

Michael Straughter, a CCS spokesperson, said nine of the 22 buses that failed the original inspection have passed an OSP follow-up.

He expects all 22 buses to pass the inspections in time to run their normal routes Monday.

He also said the district has a contingency plan in place just in case: the district’s full-time buses and drivers would cover the routes.

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