WASHINGTON — A national ban on cell-phone use by bus drivers has been proposed by the U.S. DOT. It is expected to be put in place before March. Bus drivers already are banned by federal regulation from texting while working. “Every time a commercial truck or bus d [...]
WASHINGTON — In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Nov. 10 Federal Register, the Federal Railroad Administration proposes to make Jan. 1, 2012, the effective date for implementation of conductor certification. The rulemaking on principles, elements [...]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has announced it will make permanent its Emergency Order No. 26 restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. Some changes, as described below, are to be included in the permanent [...]
The Federal Railroad Administration, following disciplinary action by Los Angeles Metrolink against two operating employees who disabled an inward facing camera in the locomotive cab, said that while the agency does not now regulate cab-installed inward facing cameras, it [...]
The Federal Railroad Administration is moving to make permanent an October 2008 emergency order restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published Tuesday, May 18, in the Federal Register, indi [...]
WASHINGTON — Revisions to locomotive certification rules (49 CFR Part 240), effective Feb. 22, 2010, were issued by the Federal Railroad Administration Dec. 23, 2009. Among the revisions: Prohibits the practice of re-classiyfing any type of engineer’s certificatio [...]
By Richard DeiserVice president and director, Bus Dept. One of the most important issues facing the motor carrier industry is distracted driving. Safe driving requires total concentration — not just on our own part, as we must also worry about other drivers not paying a [...]
The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 made the first significant amendments to hours-of-service laws in nearly 40 years. In response, the FRA issued an interim statement of agency policy and interpretation, which poses significant problems for train- and engine-service empl [...]
By UTU International President Mike Futhey We are a union on the move, growing stronger financially and adding new members through aggressive organizing. In addition to organizing 300 pilots and flight attendants at Great Lakes Airlines recently, we have authorization cards f [...]
In a joint submission aimed at improving safety and the security of member paychecks, the UTU and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have asked the Federal Railroad Administration to clarify and simplify its interim policies relating to, and interpretations of, [...]
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