Party Fouls: Police Order 17 Party-Bus Companies To Shut Down In Wake Of Tougher Rules
By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 31, 2017 8:50PM
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Unlike the ragers-on-wheels themselves, The Great Party-Bus Crackdown of 2017 is rolling on. Just month after the city passed an ordinance that introduced stricter measures for operators, authorities took steps to shut down 17 bus companies after they were found to have been in violation. The joint announcement came on Monday from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and Chicago Police Department.
"Time and time again we have seen violent incidents stem from unlicensed party buses that do not have proper safety standards in place," Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement. "By taking comprehensive steps to crack down on these illegal operators we are sending a message that if you contribute to violence or put Chicagoans at risk we are going to hold you accountable."
Here's a list of the 17 party-bus operators who were slapped with a cease-and-desist order in the wake of a "focused enforcement action" that was carried out from July 26 through July 28:
• AAA Exquisite Limousine, LTD
• Almost Famous
• Chicago Classic Coach
• Chicago Cloud 9 Limo
• Chicago Party Bus 1
• Chicago Party Bus Rent
• Chi Town Limo Bus
• Chi Town Party Bus
• Crystal Limousine
• Elite Chicago Limo
• Exquisite Limo & Party Bus Chicago
• Limos Alive Party Bus Rental
• Manuel D. Tavarez
• Professional Limousine Service, Inc
• The Trolley Car & Bus Company
• Viking Limousine
• VIP Limousine, Inc and Chicago Party Bus Rental
“Consumers need to know that they are putting themselves and others at risk when they do business with an unlicensed operator,” said BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareno in a release. “We want to help legitimate bus companies compete and thrive and operate in a safe environment.”
Under the new ordinance, a security guard must be onboard if 15 or more partiers on the bus or if alcohol is being served, or the bus is stopping at spots that serve alcohol. In other, words, most party-bus trips. Party-bus owners are also required to take proactive steps to make sure no one is illegally carrying a gun or drugs, according to the ordinance. Under the ordinance, a cease-and-desist is applicable to a company's entire fleet in the event of a violation, not just the bus that was cited.
Three men were wounded in a Lakeview shooting in December after an argument broke out on a party bus. Last September a man was shot in the thigh near Buckingham Fountain after he got into a verbal altercation with someone who had just stepped off a party bus.