(March 31, 2009) - Amid escalating violence near the U.S.-Mexico border tied to the drug trade, the Highway Information Sharing Activity Center announced that bus drivers, bus companies and school administrations should take necessary precautions with any operations in the region.
Don L. Rondeau, director of the intelligence group funded by TSA, said no specific threats have been received from Mexican drug cartels, but the events represent a “quasi-dangerous situation.”
The Department of State issued a travel alert in February to all U.S. citizens traveling in and around Mexico to exercise caution regarding the increased violence that has killed Mexican nationals as well as foreigners. Shortly thereafter, a trucking company that does business near the border contacted Highway ISAC for additional guidance. As a result, Highway ISAC, which is funded, managed and housed within TSA but does not speak for the federal government, issued its own alert to all trucking companies and their employees to establish any necessary security measures.
The alert prompted questions from School Transportation News on what this means to school buses and activity buses operating in the region, and Rondeau said the same alerts are applicable to the school bus industry.
“The same could be said for school bus drivers as their cargo is more precious than anything taken on trucks,” he said. “We’re not saying, ‘Don’t go to Mexico.' But bus companies, school administrators as well as drivers are in possession of facts that will help them make the best decisions. All we want to do is put you in a position so you make an informed decision.”
Highway ISAC operates the call center for TSA that receives reports of suspicious activity through the First Observer program and disseminates the information to local law enforcement for further investigation. First Observer was recently renamed from the former Eyes on the Road program, which succeeded Highway Watch and School Bus Watch.
http://www.stnonline.com/artman/publish/article_9130.shtml
