Bus line had record of violations

DALLAS -- The company whose bus caught fire last week, killing 23 nursing home patients fleeing Hurricane Rita, was the subject of complaints by three people in 2002 who said its vehicles reeked of fuel and were in disrepair, according to state records.

The complaints against Global Tours and Charters, now Global Limo Inc., preceded a state investigation that found several violations, including a failure to keep records of vehicle inspections and maintenance.

The state told the company to comply with regulations but did not impose penalties against it, according to records released Wednesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety. A month after the 2002 review, Global owner James H. Maples told the state Transportation Department he had made the necessary changes.

On Sept. 23, a group of 37 nursing home residents was being moved from the Houston area because of Rita's approach when their Global bus caught fire while struck in traffic near Dallas. A series of explosions -- probably medical oxygen canisters igniting -- fueled the flames and trapped most of the occupants.

Investigators have said the fire could have been caused by mechanical problems, possibly with the brakes.

The bus had been pressed into service to carry residents of the Brighton Gardens nursing home out of Rita's path. It had gone out of service in July after its registration expired, but was allowed back on the road because of a waiver signed by Governor Rick Perry to aid relief efforts.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the tragedy. Since the explosion, the Transportation Department has issued an advisory to the bus industry about the safe transport of oxygen containers.

According to federal records, drivers for Global Limo were ordered to stop driving five times in the past three years, mostly for infractions regarding bus logs. In 2004, the company was rated as ''satisfactory," with no evidence of major safety problems in recent years, records show.