13 of 17 bus owners cited for violating ‘Angelie’s Law’ based in Hudson County

The state Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has issued violations to 17 commercial autobus owners for violating “Angelie’s Law,” 13 of which are based in Hudson County – including the company that employed the driver involved in the accident that killed Angelie Paredes two years ago. 

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

The commercial autobuses, better known as “jitneys” or “jitney buses,” operating on public roads with 40 passengers are required to have interior and exterior notices directing passengers to report service complaints to the DCA, and the telephone number must also be provided as a result of Angelie’s Law.

“This requirement, among others, is designed to protect the safety of both riders and the general public,” Steve Lee, the Acting Director of the NJ DCA, said in a statement.

Lee also noted that in February, the DCA issued a consumer alert about the public notice requirement of Angelie’s Law and also mailed an advisory letter to commercial autobus owners.

The following 17 companies hit with violations are as follows:

Jersey City

Community Lines, Inc.

Azael Alvarado

Walter Carranza

 

North Bergen 

Emelys Transportation, LLC

Victor Lara, aka VL Services

Samuel Salgado

NV Bus Service, Inc.

 

Union City 

Ekramy Elgendy

Luis Portalatinmendoza

Joseph Transporte, Inc.

 

West New York 

Orlando Villanuevavazurita

Jose Rodriguez

Claudio Paguay

 

Beyond Hudson 

Hasan Tamini – Haledon

Marina Transit Corp. – Bellville

Boulevard Lines, Inc. – Ridgefield

Amigo Transit, LLC – Carteret

Each company, except for NV Bus Service, was cited for one non-compliant vehicle and issued a notice of violation imposing a $1,000 civil penalty and $176.87 for the State’s investigative costs.

NV Bus Service was cited for three non-compliant vehicles and one driver who did not have the proper license for transporting passengers. The company was issued a $4,000 civil penalty and $503.61 for the State’s investigative costs.

Boulevard Lines, Inc., which also operates under the name Sphinx Transportation, was the employer of driver Idowu Daramola, who crashed a bus into a lamppost near John F. Kennedy Boulevard East and 56th Street on July 30, 2013 – causing the lamppost to fall on Paredes’ stroller and she soon died from her injuries, via CBS. 

Daramola was said to have been on his cell phone at the time of the accident.

A North Bergen resident recently attended a board of commissioners meeting to express his disdain for “undocumented people” operating jitney buses on Bergenline Avenue, also proclaiming “we won World War II but we can’t win the war on these vans.”