Double-Decker Buses: Manhattan Lawmaker Calls For Stricter Rules

ALBANY, NY — State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat, is calling for stricter regulations on double-decker sightseeing buses, which patrol New York City on a daily basis. Hoylman on Monday said tougher rules are needed to protect tourists, pedestrians and motorists on its busy streets.

Hoylman said several legal loopholes allow the buses to skirt the safety and regulatory rules that apply to other kinds of buses.

Under state law, double-decker tourist buses are treated differently than school, charter or public transit buses. That means double-decker buses don't have to follow the same rules requiring driver medical exams and driving tests, are exempt from laws barring sex offenders from driving other kinds of buses and aren't held to the same insurance regulations.

"Double-decker tour buses aren't only a nuisance to my constituents in Manhattan, but it turns out they also are evading regulatory scrutiny in New York, making them a potential disaster waiting to happen," Hoylman said.

The popularity of the buses has increased in recent years. While there were fewer than 60 buses in the early 2000s the number had shot up to 263 by 2014, according to an analysis that year by The Associated Press.

Twin America LLC is the largest provider of bus tours in the city, operating the bus companies Gray Line New York and CitySights NY. A message seeking comment on Hoylman's proposals wasn't immediately returned on Monday.

There have been some notable accidents. Nine people were hurt last year when a double-decker bus, cut off by a taxi, swerved and jumped a curb at Central Park. Fourteen people were hurt in a tour crash in Times Square in 2014.

Lawmakers could take up the issue after they return to Albany next month to begin the 2018 session.

By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press

Photo credit: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images