Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu today praised a new state law allows cities to enact restrictions on tour bus operators.
Assembly Bill 25, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday, authorizes local jurisdictions to impose restrictions such as limiting which streets the buses can travel and prohibiting the use of loudspeakers on buses without roofs.
"I commend Assemblyman (Adrin) Nazarian on leading this issue in the state Assembly, and Governor Brown for signing it into law. It is an issue that I have been fighting to address since I entered office,'' said Ryu, whose district includes the Hollywood area where many tour buses operate.
Ryu said he plans to introduce city legislation to enact the law, including a requirement for the use of headsets on all open-air tour buses in Los Angeles, and a direction to the city Department of Transportation to begin studying which streets tour buses should be allowed to drive on.
"This has been a growing issue in my district for years. Tourism is a key ingredient to the Los Angeles economy, but rogue tour bus operators and their illegally modified vehicles pose a serious threat to tourists and everyday motorists alike," Ryu said. "I am incredibly pleased to see the state of California give municipalities the power to take this issue on, and look forward to finally addressing it here in Los Angeles."
