A school bus in Junction City, Ore., operated with front tires that were so worn the cords under the tire tread were visible. The bus company, First Student Inc., now faces a $3,800 fine, according to reports.
First Student, who acknowledged the treads were worn and fired a supervisor as a result, has filed an appeal disputing the fine amount assessed by Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division.
The state assessed its fine on First Student for operating the bus with bald tires and for not conducting regular monthly safety meetings at its Junction City location, reports said. OSHA inspected the Junction City location after receiving a complaint and found the site had not been inspected in years.
The tread on the bus in question were found to be a depth of 1/16-inch, which is illegal under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. According to the regulators report the bus traveled 130 to 150 miles a day, five days a week.
The bus’ tire tread depth measured 3/32nds-inch – a low but legal depth — when they were last checked in May. The site supervisor was notified of the low tread depth, but told employees to wait to replace the tires until June 12, because of monthly budget constraints, state regulators found.
The bald tires have since been replaced with new tires on the school bus.
