Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc.
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| Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese: | 風華捷運公司 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 风华捷运公司 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning: | "Magnificent Wind" Rapid Transit Company | ||||||||||||
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Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. is a bus company that operates between Boston and New York City. Founded in 1997, Fung Wah operates more than 20 buses a day with hourly scheduled service. Like other Chinatown bus services, Fung Wah operates from both traditional bus terminals (South Station in Boston) and stops in New York's Chinatown.
Fung Wah is known for its low fares in comparison to other bus and rail routes between Boston and New York. Due to the low prices, Fung Wah has become a popular way for young people and other travelers on a budget to travel between Boston and New York. [1] Recently, the company has also become known for its high rate of accidents, as well as a discrimination lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts Attorney General for refusing to sell tickets to a visually-impaired couple with a guide dog.
The name Fung Wah comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese name, 風華, which means "magnificent wind."
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[edit] History
Fung Wah began in 1997 as a dollar van service shuttling Chinese immigrants in New York between Brooklyn and Chinatown.[2] A year later it expanded to connect the Chinatowns in New York and Boston[2], and gradually grew to being a low cost intercity transit provider.[3] It originally operated out of the Boston Chinatown, but moved to the nearby South Station bus terminal in 2004 due to traffic concerns from the city.[4]
[edit] Safety
The Fung Wah bus has been involved in several safety-related incidents. In 2005, the company was given a federal safety rating of 73 out of 100, 100 being the worst, and 75 or above considered at risk of being unsafe and subject to investigation.[2] Ian Grossman of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that Fung Wah drivers rated in the worst 2 percent of drivers nationwide based on regulatory violations, and nine out of 71 Fung Wah drivers were suspended after inspection between 2004 and 2006.[3]
- August 16, 2005: A New York-bound bus caught fire on Interstate 91 near Meriden, Connecticut. Though the passengers later criticized the driver for being unhelpful and untrained in evacuating the bus, all passengers were eventually evacuated and no injuries were reported.[5]
- September 6, 2006: A bus rolled over in Auburn, Massachusetts and caused minor injuries to 34 passengers.[6] Excessive speed was cited as a factor and the bus company was fined.[7]
- January 3, 2007: In Framingham, Massachusetts, a New York-bound bus lost its back two wheels. No injuries were reported. [8]
- February 14, 2007: The driver of a New York-bound lost control in a winter storm and hit a guardrail on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) in Allston, Massachusetts. No injuries were reported. [9]
- March 23, 2007: A New York-bound bus got stuck on a concrete barrier in front of a tollbooth on the Massachusetts Turnpike at Route 128 in Weston, Massachusetts, when the bus drove up on a cement lane divider. The driver had entered an automobile-only lane and tried to change lanes. No one was injured in the incident, but the bus was taken out of service and passengers boarded another Fung Wah bus that arrived later.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ Derouchie, Daniel. "Fung Wah Buses: The Lines are Long, but the Price is Right", GoNomad.com.
- ^ a b c Donovan, Slack. "Ratings signal warning for fast-growing Fung Wah", The Boston Globe, 2005-09-04. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
- ^ a b Collins, Clayton. "Backstory: Travel noir - the Fung Wah 'extreme'", Christian Science Monitor, 2006-09-15.
- ^ Gross, Courtney. "Loyal riders now moved to choose", The Boston Globe, January 23, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- ^ Ross, Casey. "Flames engulf Fung Wah bus in Connecticut", The Boston Globe, 2005-08-16. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ "34 hurt, driver cited for Fung Wah bus rollover in Auburn", The Boston Globe, September 6, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ "Fung Wah bus company fined $31K for rollover", The Boston Globe, October 31, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ "Fung Wah Bus Loses Wheels", WCVB-TV, January 3, 2007.
- ^ "Fung Wah Bus Crashes On Turnpike", WCVB-TV, February 14, 2007.
- ^ Ryan, Tim. "Fung Wah Bus Involved In Mishap", WCVB-TV, March 23, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
