Private sanitation trucks that crisscross NYC between downtown business districts and outer borough transfer stations have been caught operating with hundreds of maintenance violations that increase the likelihood of a crash, according to a report released yesterday by theTransform Don't Trash NYC coalition with Transportation Alternatives.
Over the last two years, trucks operated by the 20 largest private haulers in NYC were involved in 35 crashes, two of which were deadly (though neither was credited to a maintenance issue). They racked up 400 violations in the same time period, according to federal inspection reports, 384 of which have been attributed to maintenance issues: from faulty brakes and low-tread tires to busted headlights and turn signals. Inadequate supports for the trucks' lifting mechanisms often spill trash and other cargo on the street, leaving slick smears.
To read the full article, visit Gothamist