Mayor Rahm Emanuel will introduce a new ordinance this week that cracks down on illegal party buses in Chicago, city officials announced.
The goal of the new proposal is to curb problems and violence reported on board many party buses in recent months.
City Council approved a separate, similar ordinance last year, but this one takes aim at the operators.
It’s just one of the latest initiatives aimed to tackle the city’s violence.
Sponsored by Aldermen Edward Burke and Brendan Reilly, the ordinance will help police officers more easily identify illegal and unlicensed party buses so they can be stopped before any problems occur on board, city officials said.
It also includes new safety measures for all operators, including increases in fines for illegal activities. Plus, it establishes a task force that will conduct sweeps to find illegal bus operators, according to a statement from the City of Chicago.
Last September, new regulations kicked in that held drivers more accountable for rowdy passengers on their buses. Among other things, it required drivers to call police if a gun was fired. But despite the stepped up regulations, problems on board some party buses persisted, prompting Ald. Burke and Ald. Reilly to sponsor the new measure.
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There have been at least seven shootings on party buses in Chicago in the past year and a half, the most recent being earlier this month in Edgewater.
