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Fung Wah Bus Transportation

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Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. (Chinese: 風華巴士有限公司; Jyutping: fung1 waa4 baa1 si2 jau5 haan6 gung1 si1) was one of the first Chinatown bus lines in the U.S., running bus service between Boston and New York City. It operated from 1996 to 2015, except for a brief period in 2014 when it was shut down for safety violations.

Fung Wah Bus Transportation, Inc.
Fung Wah Bus Van Hool C2045 #98 makes a stop in eastern Connecticut along its route
Founded1996
Defunct2015
Headquarters25 Edinboro Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
LocaleNortheastern United States
Service areaNew York City and Boston
Service typeLine-run service
Routes1
Stations2
Fleet28[1]
Chief executivePei Lin Liang
Websitefungwahbus.com
Fung Wah Bus Transportation
Traditional Chinese風華巴士有限公司
Simplified Chinese风华巴士有限公司
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinfēnghuá bāshì yǒuxiàn gōngsī
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingfung1waa4 baa1si6-2 jau5haan6 gung1si1

Etymology

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The name Fung Wah came from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese name 風 華, which means "magnificent wind."[2]

Route

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Fung Wah used a fleet of over two dozen buses to operate hourly scheduled service between South Station in Boston and Chinatown in Manhattan. It usually traveled over Interstate 95 on its route.[3]

History

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Bus boarding in Boston
 
Fung Wah Chinatown Bus awaiting departure at the Canal St. stop in Manhattan, New York City, in 2007

Fung Wah was founded in New York City in 1996, as Fung Wah Transport Vans, Inc., by Pei Lin Liang, who had immigrated from Zhuhai, China in 1988. Before founding the company, Liang had worked as a driver for Four Seas, a local dollar van service that shuttled Chinese garment and restaurant workers from Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Chinatown in Manhattan.[4] Fung Wah began as a direct competitor with Liang's former employer.[5] The Chinese characters of the company's name were written in English as Fenghua Jieyun Gongsi and translated as Elegant Rapid Transit Company.[6] Translations of "Fung Wah" from Cantonese included Chinese Wind.[6]

In 1997, Liang borrowed $60,000 and bought four vans[7] at the request of customers who wanted to visit their children in college in Boston,[5] and gradually grew to being a low cost intercity transit provider.[6] As one of the first of the Chinatown bus lines, Fung Wah operated between designated curbside locations only.[8] By 2003, Fung Wah and competitors like Lucky Star Bus were competing fiercely, with low prices and allegations of crime connections at other competitors.[9] While it originally operated curbside out of Boston's Chinatown, Fung Wah moved to the nearby Boston South Station bus terminal in 2004 due to traffic concerns from Boston city government.[4][10] Between 1997 and 2007, Chinatown buses like Fung Wah took 60% of Greyhound Lines' market share in the northeast United States.[11]

On June 15, 2009, Fung Wah expanded service to Rhode Island at the Kennedy Plaza bus terminal[12] in downtown Providence, but discontinued this route in 2010.[citation needed]

In February 2013, an investigative report broadcast on WBZ-TV Boston found cracked frames on Fung Wah buses. Massachusetts authorities then ordered most of the Fung Wah fleet off the road.[13] In March 2013, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration declared Fung Wah an "imminent hazard to public safety" and ordered it to cease all operations with its then-current fleet.[14] On March 28, 2013, the US Department of Transportation ordered the company to immediately suspend all service.[15] In September 2013, it was reported that both Fung Wah and Lucky Star lines (another "Chinatown bus" line) had done extensive work, training, and purchases hoping to get their bus lines operating again. There was to be a re-filing for their operating licenses and possible limited resumption of service in Fall 2013.[16]

On February 7, 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration denied Fung Wah's request to resume operations, claiming the company "was not willing nor able to comply" with federal intercity bus safety standards. Fung Wah's law firm, the New York firm Freeman Lewis LLC, appealed the decision.[17]

On December 18, 2014, it was announced that the bus line would resume service in early 2015. Fung Wah spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve the safety of its buses between February 2013 and December 2014; in addition, it was revealed that inspections of the buses were flawed. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would monitor Fung Wah closely after operations resumed.[18][19]

However, in July 2015, before resumption of service was slated to start, owner Peter Liang announced that the service would end permanently.[20] The line reportedly shut down because it could not find a bus stop in Boston's South Station.[21] Alternatives, such as Alewife station at the northern terminus of the Red Line subway in Cambridge, were reportedly given as an option but deemed too far away from its traditional operating location near Chinatown in Boston.[21]

Controversy

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Fare wars

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With fares lower than other bus and rail carriers between New York City and Boston as low as $10 during a fare war,[22] Fung Wah had become popular with young people and other travelers on a budget.[23] In early 2013, Massachusetts and federal authorities issued a series of safety citations, declared it to be an "imminent hazard to public safety", imposed operating restrictions, and ultimately ordered Fung Wah to cease all operations.[13][14]

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The Fung Wah Bus crash in Chinatown, Manhattan, on June 23, 2008

Fung Wah buses have been involved in several safety-related incidents. In 2005, the company was given a federal driver risk rating of 73 out of 100, 100 being the worst, with 75 considered at risk of being unsafe and subject to crashes.[5] Ian Grossman of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that Fung Wah drivers rated among the worst two percent of drivers nationwide based on regulatory violations, and nine out of 71 Fung Wah drivers were suspended after inspection between 2004 and 2006.[6] Still, many travelers were not discouraged.[24]

  • 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.[25]
  • September 6, 2006: A bus rolled over in Auburn, Massachusetts and caused minor injuries to 34 passengers.[26] Excessive speed was cited as a factor and the bus company was fined.[27]
  • January 3, 2007: In Framingham, Massachusetts, a New York-bound bus lost two of its rear wheels. No injuries were reported.[28]
  • February 14, 2007: The driver of a New York-bound bus lost control in a winter storm and hit a guardrail on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) in Allston, Massachusetts. No injuries were reported.[29]
  • 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.[30]
  • June 23, 2008: A bus loading passengers was struck by an out of control dump truck at the corner of Bowery and Canal Street in New York’s Chinatown. The force of the impact pushed the bus onto the sidewalk and into a bank. As the result of the crash, a sign attached to a light pole fell, injuring a 57-year-old woman; the woman later died as the result of a heart attack. Several people, including two police officers, were treated for minor injuries.[31][32][33] State Department of Transportation inspectors found the dump truck, owned by CPQ Freight Systems, had eight mechanical issues, including faulty brakes, which led to the crash.[34]
  • There were no crash incidents involving Fung Wah reported to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (United States Department of Transportation) by states for 24 months prior to December 26, 2011.[35]
  • February 25, 2013: The company pulled nearly its entire fleet off the road with 21 of 28 buses after inspectors from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities found multiple structural cracks in several buses. The company reduced their service from every half-hour to hourly, and used rental buses in place of the fleet.[1]
  • February 26, 2013: As a result of the structural damage discovered the day before, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered Fung Wah to "immediately cease passenger service" indefinitely and to park its remaining seven buses.[36]
  • March 1, 2013: The FMCSA formally cancels the motor carrier docket (MC 405969, USDOT 954187) and operating authority of Fung Wah after Fung Wah blocked access to safety records. As such, Fung Wah cannot charter buses to meet service.[37]

Discrimination lawsuit

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In January 2004, due to the company's policy barring pets from buses, the Fung Wah Bus Company refused to sell tickets to a blind couple traveling with a guide dog, even when informed by the couple—and later by police responding to a disturbance call—that the couple had the right to board the bus with a service animal.[38][39] In conjunction with the Massachusetts Attorney General, the couple later filed a discrimination lawsuit against the company, which was allowable per the Attorney General's office: "Massachusetts law prohibits discrimination against blind persons and requires businesses to allow service animals in their establishments even when there is an existing “no pet” policy, as long as the animal is controlled and does not otherwise pose an undue burden."[38][39] In July 2007, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination awarded the couple $60,000 in damages, assessed a $10,000 civil penalty payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered the company to take several steps to prevent discrimination in the future.[38][39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Johnston, Katie (February 25, 2013). "Fung Wah company pulls buses off the road after state inspections find structural cracks". The Boston Globe. Boston. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Passing of a Magnificent Wind". VICE. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Carrier Overview: Fung Wah", US Department of Transportation
  4. ^ a b Farivar, Cyrus, "Murder and Vice on the Lower East Side: The Past, Present and Future of the 'Chinatown Buses'", Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, March 21, 2005
  5. ^ a b c Donovan, Slack (September 4, 2005). "Ratings signal warning for fast-growing Fung Wah". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 1, 2005. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d Collins, Clayton (September 15, 2006). "Backstory: Travel noir – the Fung Wah 'extreme'". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  7. ^ Luo, Michael (February 21, 2004). "In Chinatown, a $10 Trip Means War; Weary Owners Struggle to Stay Afloat in Cutthroat Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  8. ^ Carpenter, Mackenzie (August 16, 2006). "'Chinatown bus services' have grown quickly since 1998". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette., August 16, 2006
  9. ^ O'Shaughnessy, Patrice (June 16, 2003). "Chinatown Bus War Fuels Probe: Slain businessman tied to mob, cops say". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  10. ^ Gross, Courtney (January 23, 2005). "Loyal riders now moved to choose". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  11. ^ Schliefer, Theodore (August 8, 2013). "Bus travel is picking up, aided by discount operators". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  12. ^ Makishima, Paul (June 9, 2009). "Fung Wah Bus plans Providence-NY bus service". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  13. ^ a b Johnston, Katie (February 26, 2013). "Fung Wah removes 21 buses from fleet Cracks found in vehicles' frames". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Fung Wah Bus Transportation, Inc., Ordered to Cease All Operations". FMCA Newsroom. US Department of Transportation. March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2014. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has found Fung Wah Bus Transportation, Inc., of Boston, Mass., to be an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered to cease all passenger operations.
  15. ^ "US DOT Orders Fung Wah Bus To Immediately Cease Passenger Service". CBS News New York. February 26, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  16. ^ Johnston, Katie, "Fung Wah, Lucky Star may be on the road again soon", The Boston Globe, September 27, 2013.
  17. ^ Johnston, Katie (February 7, 2014). "Federal officials keep Fung Wah off the road". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 8, 2014.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ Newsham, Jack, "Fung Wah gets federal approval to return to the road", The Boston Globe, December 18, 2014
  19. ^ Connor Adams Sheets (December 18, 2014). "Fung Wah's Chinatown Buses To Return To Road In 2015". International Business Times. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  20. ^ Chris Fuchs (July 17, 2015). "Fung Wah Bus Company Shuts Down for Good". NBC News. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  21. ^ a b Cush, Andy (July 16, 2015). "Pour One Out for Fung Wah Bus, Which May Never Return to the Road". Gawker. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  22. ^ Luo, Michael (February 21, 2004). "In Chinatown, a $10 Trip Means War; Weary Owners Struggle to Stay Afloat in Cutthroat Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  23. ^ Derouchie, Daniel. "Fung Wah Buses: The Lines are Long, but the Price is Right". GoNomad.com.
  24. ^ Lewis, Sam, "Many Travelers Not Deterred by Deadly Bus Crashes" Archived January 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, WNYC news, New York City, Tuesday, March 15, 2011
  25. ^ Ross, Casey (August 16, 2005). "Flames engulf Fung Wah bus in Connecticut". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  26. ^ "34 hurt, driver cited for Fung Wah bus rollover in Auburn". The Boston Globe. September 6, 2006. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  27. ^ "Fung Wah bus company fined $31K for rollover". The Boston Globe. October 31, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  28. ^ "Fung Wah Bus Loses Wheels". WCVB-TV. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007.
  29. ^ "Fung Wah Bus Crashes On Turnpike". WCVB-TV. February 14, 2007. Archived from the original on February 23, 2007.
  30. ^ Ryan, Tim (March 23, 2007). "Fung Wah Bus Involved In Mishap". WCVB-TV. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  31. ^ Noah Bierman (June 24, 2008). "Boston-bound bus hit by truck in NYC; pedestrian is killed". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  32. ^ "Bus Crashes Into Bank In Manhattan". WNYW. June 23, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2008.[dead link‍]
  33. ^ "One Dead, Four Injured When Bus Jumps Curb In Chinatown" Archived November 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, NY1 News, June 23, 2008
  34. ^ El-Ghobashy, Tamer (June 25, 2008). "Rig in fatal crash had faulty brakes". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  35. ^ "Company Snapshot: FUNG WAH BUS TRANSPORTATION INC: USDOT Number: 954187", United States Department of Transportation.
  36. ^ "US orders Fung Wah bus line to suspend passenger service over safety concerns". The Boston Globe. Boston. February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  37. ^ Johnston, Katie (March 1, 2013). "Federal authorities shut down Fung Wah". The Boston Globe. Boston. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  38. ^ a b c "Fung Wah Loses Discrimination Lawsuit: MCAD: Bus Co. Discriminates Against Blind Travelers". WCVB. July 12, 2007. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
  39. ^ a b c Amie Breton (July 12, 2007). "ATTORNEY GENERAL COAKLEY WINS LAWSUIT AGAINST FUNG WAH BUS COMPANY FOR REFUSING TO SELL TICKETS TO BLIND COUPLE". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
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