Greyhound says they allow drivers to get more rest than mandates
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The driver was among the people transported to the hospital with minor injuries. ABC7 News looked into the rules Greyhound imposes on its drivers.
There are strict regulations for bus drivers. Federal law mandates they get eight hours of rest, after 10 hours behind the wheel. Greyhound says it does better than that and requires nine hours of rest after 10 hours of driving. In addition, federal law has a 70-hour "on duty limit" in an eight-day period. That means, no driving after 70 hours of work, whether that work involves driving or not.
VIDEO: Two women die in San Jose Greyhound bus crash
However, union leaders say drivers under-report their hours, in order to make ends meet. Larry Hanley, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, told ABC7 News they're calling for change.
Hanley said they want companies "to put [drivers] in a place where they can afford to not be on the road 100 hours a week. In America, this is a national crisis. We have buses that are rolling off the roads and killing people."
The Amalgamated Transit Union represents Greyhound drivers. He says the real problem is bus companies are not required to pay drivers overtime. There is no time-and-a-half beyond 40 hours, like many other American workers get.
Greyhound says it puts safety first and tells drivers to speak up and have someone take their shift if they ever feel tired. But if that means losing wages, the union says many won't speak up.
