WASHINGTON – No Texas or U.S. motor safety officers were on duty when an unsafe bus crossed the border hoursng on the crash began Tuesday and was to continue through Wednesday.

The bus crashede pains to register this bus in two states, Texas and California, using false or storefront addresses an ls are not adequate to detect which passenger-carrying vehicles fail to meet federal safety standards, she said.

Capricorn Bus Lines Inc. of Houston owned the bus and leased it to International Charter Services Inc., also of Houston.

Capricorn was not allowed to travel out of Texas, but by leasing the bus to International Charter Services, the vehicle could make the trip into Mexico.

Motorcoach crashes have been in the headlines throughout the year. Initially, many of the crashes have been blamed on a missed curve, a fatigued driver or tire problem. But investigations in several crashes have uncovered bigger problems such as poor screening of drivers and bus companies that were shut down but were still operating in the U.S.

Advocates for increased motorcoA ¼ 3/8Fety say the crashes have highlighted gaping holes in regulation of the passenger bus industry and the need for tighter enforcement.

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