Minnesota Department of Transportation did not audit some limos for more than a year
If a black-and-white MnDOT decal is affixed to a limo's passenger-side windshield, that vehicle is supposed to have passed an annual safety inspection.
But from spring 2017 through early December last year, MnDOT issued decals to an unknown number of limousine operators, even though their vehicles had not been inspected.
MnDOT also did not audit even one limousine operator last year, according to data obtained by the
This was due to a "resource issue," said
At no time was the traveling public advised of the agency's apparent violation of its own policies.
In a primer posted online by the
"We've just tightened up recently, being a little bit more clear about doing that inspection as early as possible," Coulianos said. "Now we're not issuing a decal … until we inspect it."
For those limo operators who follow the rules, the
"We've been around 28 years, we're pretty specific about compliance and maintenance," said
"We treat people like family," he said.
Deadliest crash
The
Investigators in
The deadly limo appeared to slip through
Coulianos said it's difficult for state highway departments to track limo operators if they choose to deliberately skirt the law. "Everybody points to the regulatory bodies, saying we don't do our jobs, but in fact a lot of the time, we're limited," he said.
Closer to home, a serious crash involving a limo in
Some scofflaws could be identified through impromptu roadside checks. MnDOT says it will occasionally partner with the State Patrol to check limo operators out in the field, especially during major events such as the
'Resource issue'
In
Both kinds of vehicles-for-hire must undergo annual inspections and audits by MnDOT. The larger vehicles may be inspected by independent mechanics and the State Patrol.
Once an operator pays
Annual audits include a check of drivers' criminal background and proof of insurance, and whether they are cleared medically to operate the vehicle. But there were zero audits of 327 limo companies in 2018, and 31 audits of 325 motor carrier operators.
MnDOT says the "resource issue" dates to 2015 when a new law required inspections of nonemergency medical transportation vehicles. That resulted in 1,681 additional inspections the following year.
The department did not have enough staff to handle the increased workload and "it has taken time to post, hire and train" new inspectors to help out, Coulianos said. Five new inspectors did join MnDOT two years later, but one has since left.
The change in the number of inspections and audits could also be attributed to "the general ebb and flow of business," Coulianos said.
Nationally, the limousine industry experienced robust growth through the early 2000s, but business plummeted during the Great Recession, according to the Transportation Research Board. Then, ride-sharing firms
Since then, however, the number of limousines registered with MnDOT increased 73 percent, while the number of bigger vehicles remained flat.
Annual inspections?
Laura Roads, a staff attorney at MnDOT, said the department is not legally required to inspect a vehicle before issuing a decal. The wording of the state's administrative rule is vague, saying the "commissioner shall annually inspect a limousine for which a decal has been issued."
"It makes sense practically speaking that the decal is good for a year, the inspection is good for a year, so in an ideal world those two things would be matched up at the same time," Roads said. "But in the past, that wasn't always the case."
A violation of MnDOT rules could result in a fine of up to
"We always remind people that they're paying for the service," said
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