26 of 45 LAX Shuttle Vans Taken Off Road : Transportation: They are cited for safety or paperwork violations during a surprise inspection by the PUC.

Backed by the Highway Patrol and police, the state Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday conducted surprise safety inspections of 45 shuttle vans at Los Angeles International Airport, ordering 26 off the road for safety or paperwork violations.

One van was so dangerous that authorities refused to let its operator drive it out of the shuttle-van holding lot near the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and 96th Street. It was towed back to its garage instead.

The 25 other cited vehicles--with violations that included poor brakes, damaged steering gearboxes, defective taillights, broken windshields and inadequate paperwork--were allowed to drive out, without passengers, and seek repairs.

“I don’t think this means there’s a huge (safety) problem out there,” said William R. Schulte, director of transportation for the PUC. “But I think it means there is a potential for it.”

A similar surprise inspection at San Francisco International Airport last summer also put more than half of the inspected vans out of business. The results there prompted San Francisco Airport officials to start their own inspection program. Schulte said a similar program is being discussed with LAX administrators.

Schulte said additional surprise inspections are scheduled for other major airports in both Northern and Southern California. The Highway Patrol regularly inspects buses and other public conveyances with more than 10 seats, but no state agency has the authority to routinely check vans carrying 10 or fewer passengers.

The Public Utilities Commission, which licenses door-to-door airport shuttle vans, is doing the inspections because of public complaints, Schulte said.

A total of 136 violations were recorded in less than three hours Wednesday. Operators were issued what Schulte called “fix-it tickets” that carry no fine but require van owners to make repairs and have them certified by the Highway Patrol before resuming business.

Two companies--Logo Express and Lafayette Express--were cited for operating even though the PUC had revoked their licenses. In addition, a man in an unmarked van was written up for operating a shuttle without obtaining the necessary state permit. These three companies will be prosecuted separately, Schulte said.

“I don’t know what he was doing in the holding lot with a passenger,” Schulte said of the unlicensed operator. “I think he was confused. Now he’s also unhappy.”

The passenger, who was late for an international flight, was driven to the airport by state officials, he said.

Schulte also said he encountered one driver who said his employer was forcing him to work a 24-hour shift--twice as long as the maximum permitted under state law. “The guy was not in good shape,” he said.

“One of the things this told us is which are some of the better versus some of the worst firms, so we know where to focus our (inspection and enforcement) efforts in the future,” Schulte added. He declined to rank firms by the number of violations, saying that would have to wait until the “violation sheets” had been tabulated.

In addition to mechanical worthiness, the PUC and CHP inspectors, supported by police officers from Los Angeles and LAX, inspected such paperwork as driver licenses, registration, proof of insurance and state permits.