In the wake of a tumultuous fall quarter for Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has issued a safety and compliance report regarding TAPS operations after being requested by the university.

CHP’s report, conducted on Jan. 3 and issued on Jan. 19, included inspections of nine buses, and deemed TAPS operations an “imminent danger to public safety.” Of the nine buses inspected, five were placed out of service. Several buses were reported to have brakes out of adjustment and faulty or inoperable emergency exits.

Overall, the bus terminal was given an unsatisfactory rating from CHP.

“Typically, an unsatisfactory rating comes when an inspector comes in to do the terminal inspection and finds so many things out of compliance, and it’s so egregious, that it’s apparent to the inspector virtually nothing is being done,” said commercial bus safety expert Robert Berkstresser. “This indicates that they’re waiting for something to happen before they address the problem.”

The carrier, UC Santa Cruz, is required to perform inspections on vehicles every six months or six thousand miles. They are also required to perform inspections of emergency exits every 90 days. All nine vehicles — which are all 30 years old — included in the CHP report’s sample were found to be in violation to varying degrees.

“If you have a very good maintenance program, the age of the equipment isn’t critical. It’ll come into play, but it’s not critical,” Berkstresser said based on his experience as a Transit Manager. “They take more maintenance, especially in the medium-duty buses like these [loop buses]. Typically, their shelf life is somewhere on the order of 12 to 20 years.”

The need for regular inspections is all the more glaring following the events of fall quarter with one loop bus catching fire on Nov. 13 and another crashing resulting in 5 injuries to passengers and the death of the driver, Dan Stevenson on Dec. 12.

City on a Hill Press reached out to TAPS Transit Manager Tracy Freeman, Vice Chancellor of Risk and Safety Clement Stokes, and Chief Financial Officer Ed Reiskin for comment on the report and was redirected to Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Relations, Scott Hernandez-Jason. In an email to City on a Hill Press, Hernandez-Jason said that TAPS has hired a third party to re-inspect the vehicles taken out of service.

“In addition to addressing the areas the CHP identified as needing improvement, we have also asked the CHP to conduct specialized training for our staff to promote safe transit operations,” said Hernandez-Jason.

TAPS drivers are meant to conduct regular checks of things like tire tread and inflation, brakes, and lights to ensure there are no obvious problems that pose an immediate danger. These checks are not as comprehensive as the routine inspections TAPS has consistently failed to perform. According to longtime TAPS driver Kevin Parks, drivers were not directed to check emergency exits. Parks stated this could have been because many were rusted shut or broken and may have been impossible to close after opening. Following union pressure, bus drivers can now request an inspection report in writing.

Bus drivers function under the impression that the buses they are driving are inspected at regular intervals. Renee Mulvany, another driver for TAPS, was previously a bus driver for local school districts. She was surprised and concerned upon learning inspections were not being completed, but found it consistent with the more “relaxed” approach she has experienced since joining TAPS.

“K-12, those vessels were definitely well maintained and everything worked,” said Mulvany. “So as far as I know, there weren’t any windows that were permanently closed or anything like that. Everything was in really good condition and there was a big difference between cleanliness and maintenance on a visual level and an operational level.”

Drivers have reported the old and poorly maintained buses generate discomfort that can lead to more severe health risks.

Crooked seats cause back problems. Poor suspension makes buses rattle and bounce, with drivers having to endure the constant vibrations over eight-hour shifts. Mulvaney reported an incident in which a leak in the ceiling left her completely soaked during a late night shift, and mildewed the seat. Faulty or non-existent heating and air conditioning systems create extreme temperatures documented as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit in the driver’s seat, and possibly higher, on frequently over-crowded buses.

Upon reading the CHP report, Berkstresser surmised that many of the problems could likely be attributed to poor management with a lack of experience managing public transportation.

For Parks, who’s been driving for TAPS since 1999, the mismanagement is not a revelation. Parks has made several attempts to communicate with TAPS leadership about health and safety concerns, but was never given a satisfying answer to his most urgent concern — old buses.

“There’s a lack of respect for workers and a lack of respect for students,” Parks said. “It’s as if there was no accountability for them. Just ‘Screw you. Your fees are going up, your service is going down. And who cares about old buses? We are socking away a ton of money.’”

The money TAPS receives from students is substantial. Students pay $513 each year toward TAPS in student fees. Of that money, 13.9% goes to student financial aid in the 2022-23 fiscal year with the rest being spent on operating transit services, and continuing the service agreement with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District among other projects. Parking permits and parking tickets also create additional revenue for TAPS.

Despite the money students pay for transportation services on campus, they remain frustrated with the unreliability and comfort of the current buses. In the wake of the events of last quarter, coupled with the findings of the CHP reports, some students now feel unsafe.

Kyle Vergara, a third-year student living off campus, has always relied on the loop bus to get to his classes on opposite sides of campus. Vergara expressed annoyance at the bus’ lateness and overcrowding. That annoyance turned to fear following the bus fire in November. Worried for his own safety and the safety of his friends, Vergara now drives himself and others to their various classes across campus, risking parking tickets in the process.

“Quite frankly, [the CHP report] just confirms that fear I’ve had that these buses aren’t safe,” Vergara said. “It makes me feel reassured in the fact that I’ve been driving people around, insisting they don’t use buses late at night. But it also sucks, because I was right to be doing that. And I’m still getting ticketed.”

That fear is shared by many members of the community, and with no developments from TAPS regarding the December crash, the report has raised more questions for both students on campus and drivers.

“On a good day, it’s a difficult job to do with the class changes, crushing loads, pedestrians on campus, electric bikes and scooters, skateboarders, animals, you name it,” Parks said. “Now, to throw [the report] in the mix, to say, ‘if someone does come out in front of me, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to stop.’ Or, ‘what if I get a full load and I’m going downhill?’ There’s a lot of apprehension.”

Keith Gelderloos provided additional reporting.