Audit finds little record keeping at B.C. company involved in fatal bus crash

VANCOUVER – An audit of a British Columbia bus company involved in a fatal crash in Oregon that killed nine people reveals a list of safety violations, including a complete lack of records tracking drivers’ hours.

The B.C. government provided a brief overview of the audit in January as it announced the company’s licence had been suspended, but the detailed report has now been released through freedom of information laws.

Mi Joo Tour and Travel Ltd. operated a tour bus that crashed on treacherous, wintry roads in Oregon on Dec. 30, killing nine passengers and injuring dozens more.

A provincial government audit conducted in the second week of January gave the company a failing grade, with violations in every category measured.

The most significant problems relate to regulations around the number of hours drivers are allowed to work, with the company scoring a non-compliance rate of 100 per cent because it could not produce any records.

Lawsuits stemming from the crash have focused on allegations the driver worked too many consecutive hours without proper rest, though the company denies those claims and instead blames the weather.