Record keeping, not amusement rides, are in disarray, Pa. officials testify
Officials plan to overhaul the Amusement Ride Safety website to streamline record keeping (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo, file)
After reports this summer raised concerns about the competence of a Pennsylvania program overseeing amusement park rides, lawmakers are following up.
State Rep. John Maher said he’s confident the problems have to do with record keeping and not actual inspections.
State officials testified before the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee that they plan to overhaul the Amusement Ride Safety website to streamline record keeping and make the data more accessible to the public.
“Every Pennsylvanian will be able to go on a website, click a little icon on a map, call up the amusement park you’re interested in, and see up-to-date inspection reports — just as you can do now with restaurant reports,” said Maher, R-Allegheny.
Over the summer, the online news outlet PublicSource reported missing ride inspection records that should have been submitted to the state, as well as a decline in inspection staff.
State officials insisted the program still has a good safety record. They testified the planned website overhaul will cost taxpayers as much $50,000.
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