What to Know
- Six MTA buses were taken out of service as officials investigated a possible bedbug infestation following complaints from riders
- The buses were quarantined at the Kingsbridge depot and it was confirmed there were no bedbugs
- The buses have been deemed safe and clear to go into service
Six MTA buses were taken out of service as officials investigated a possible bedbug infestation, but no bedbugs were found, authorities say.
The buses were temporarily decommissioned in the Bronx this week after the MTA received complaints from riders and some bus operators, New York City Transit Authority president Andy Byford said Tuesday.
Three buses were quarantined at the Kingsbridge depot on Monday, and another three were quarantined at the depot on Tuesday. The MTA's vendor reported no bedbugs on the buses, and deemed them safe and clear to go into service.
The buses don’t have fabric seats, so even if bedbugs had been present, they wouldn't have lived long, Byford said.
MTA spokesman Shams Tarek says it's not a practice to proactively fumigate for bedbugs as a preventative measure. Bedbug reports are investigated and treatment is performed if necessary.
In the summer of 2014, the MTA was forced to fumigate and take a number of trains out of service after bedbugs were spotted in transit.
One of the trains was pulled out of service after an N train conductor reported being bitten by bedbugs.
In September 2014, meanwhile, a Brooklyn bus was taken out of service after a passenger reported a bedbug sighting.
