UTC files complaint against bus company First Student for safety violations

SEATTLE — The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has filed a complaint against bus company First Student for its charter operations that could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

The UTC said it only regulates the charter services provided by First Student. It does not regulate First Student’s school-to-home or home-to-school transportation.

In its charter operations, First Student provides school bus rentals for businesses and organizations and for events such as parties, weddings and school field trips.

The complaint stems from an investigation in 2019 that found more than 150 safety violations.

• 44 were for using drivers without drug testing them first.
• 13 violations were for making fraudulent or intentionally false statements.
• 99 violations were for failing to require inspection reports.

“These are violations that are serious enough that they could warrant the company’s permit for operation being revoked,” UTC’s Katie Griffith said in 2019.

Initially, $10,000 of the company’s more than $23,000 fine were waived on the condition the company fixed the issues and did not commit another violation for two years.

Investigators said they found 634 violations during a routine follow-up, with more than half classified as acute, critical, or repeated.

A statement from First Student follows:

“First Student’s number one priority is always the safety and welfare of the students we transport daily. We are working with the WUTC to immediately address these findings to ensure our policies and procedures are reviewed and in compliance.”

A hearing on the violations is scheduled next month.

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