Chinatown bus lines

{{about|intercity bus travel|Chinese-owned intracity public transit|Dollar vans in the New York metropolitan area#Chinatown vans}}

Image:Mulberry Street bus stop.JPG in Manhattan en route to Boston in 2004]]

Image:Fung wah ticket booth.JPG ticket window on Canal Street at the Bowery in Manhattan's Chinatown]]

File:Eastern Shuttle (Stagecoach) MCI 102DL3 51104.jpg MCI 102DL3 coach boarding passengers in Manhattan's Chinatown]]

Image:EasternUsaChinatownBusLines 2010-06-05.svg]]

File:Chinatown bus ticket lady 2.jpg and Forsyth Street in the Little Fuzhou neighborhood of Manhattan's Chinatown]]

Chinatown bus lines are discount intercity bus services in the United States, often operated by Chinese Americans, primarily Fujianese. They operate with lower overhead and lower fares compared to competing services. Destinations include most major cities as well as casinos popular with Asian Americans.

As a result of safety issues and several fatal crashes, most Chinatown bus lines were shut down by regulatory authorities in 2012. Others continue to operate with increased oversight.

History

=Early history=

Image:Fung wah bus ny-bos.jpg Van Hool C2045 coach on a stopover]]

Chinese-operated intercity bus service began when the Chinese working class and new immigrants, particularly Chinese restaurant workers who found jobs in other cities, needed to travel to and from New York City, Boston, and Atlantic City.{{Cite book | url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1525/9780520384989-006/html | title=From Chinatown to Every Town | first=Zai | last=Liang | publisher=University of California Press | via=De Gruyter | year=2023| doi=10.1525/9780520384989-006 }}{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-METROB-4397 | title=The Secret History of the Chinatown Bus | first=Aaron |last=Rutkoff | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=June 14, 2010 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/13/cookas-tale | title=Chinatown's Kitchen Network | last=Hilgers | first=Lauren | magazine=The New Yorker | date=October 13, 2014 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb3/downloads/cb3docs/chinatown_final_report.pdf | title=Chinatown Bus Study | publisher=New York City Department of Transportation | date=October 2009}} The first companies to offer Chinese intercity bus service had minimal features, including unmarked curbside bus stops and no advertising or customer service;{{cite news | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/down-to-chinatown/ | title=The Amazing Chinatown Bus Network | first=Adrianne | last=Jeffries | work=Vice Media | date=November 27, 2014}} this greatly reduced overhead costs.{{cite journal | last=Klein | first=Nicholas | s2cid=109266853 | title=Emergent Curbside Intercity Bus Industry | journal=Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board | volume=2111 | year=2009 | pages=83–89 | doi=10.3141/2111-11}} In 1998, two companies began operations: Fung Wah Bus Transportation, between New York and Boston, and Eastern Bus, between New York and Philadelphia.{{cite news | url=https://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2006/08/16/Chinatown-bus-services-have-grown-quickly-since-1998/stories/200608160159 | title='Chinatown bus services' have grown quickly since 1998 | first=Mackenzie | last=Carpenter | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date=August 16, 2006}} At first, very few non-Chinese made use of the services.{{cite web | url=https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/elisha2013/files/2013/01/Everything-But-the-Chickens.pdf | title=Everything but the Chickens | publisher=Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy | first1=Nicholas J. | last1=Klein | first2=Andrew | last2=Zitcer | year=2012}} As word spread, they became popular with non-Chinese travelers due to lower fares and the demographics of these bus lines became similar to those of other intercity bus lines.{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-we-love-chinatown-buses/2012/01/30/gIQA0kvocQ_blog.html | title=Why we love Chinatown buses | first=Sarah | last=Kliff | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=January 30, 2012 | url-access=limited}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/nyregion/collateral-damage-in-the-chinatown-bus-wars.html | title=Crime Scene: Collateral Damage in the Chinatown Bus Wars | last=Wilson | first=Michael | work=The New York Times | date=October 7, 2011 | url-access=limited}}{{cite news | title=How Chinatown Buses Survived Competition, Regulation, and the Occasional Gang War | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-17/how-chinatown-buses-survived-competition-regulation-and-the-occasional-gang-war | last=Clark | first=Patrick | work=Bloomberg News | date=July 17, 2014 | url-access=subscription}}

Competition and price wars between newly successful companies, combined with online ticket sales, led to a reduction in fares.{{cite news | url=https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/features/32409/ | title=Penny-Pinching Peril | last=Nanos | first=Janelle | work=New York | date=May 28, 2007}}{{cite news | title=In Chinatown, a $10 Trip Means War; Weary Owners Struggle to Stay Afloat in Cutthroat Competition | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/21/nyregion/chinatown-10-trip-means-war-weary-owners-struggle-stay-afloat-cutthroat.html | last=Luo | first=Michael | work=The New York Times | date=February 21, 2004 | url-access=limited}} Service to smaller cities by Chinatown bus lines had less of a price advantage. The fierce competition led to gang violence in which rival bus operators killed or injured each other. Because of their low fares, Chinatown bus lines had very low profit margins; some went bankrupt and ceased operations. However, the services became more popular and the number of trips by Chinatown bus lines increased.

In 2004, a fully-booked bus net at least $340 profit per round trip after expenses. In 2004, Vamoose Bus was launched by Hasidic Jews to compete with Chinatown bus lines.{{cite news | url=https://www.nysun.com/article/new-york-if-you-want-to-vamoose-in-deluxe-style-youre | title=If You Want To Vamoose in DeLuxe Style, You're in Luck | first=Daniela | last=Gerson | work=The New York Sun | date=February 14, 2006}}

By 2005, Chinatown buses appropriated much of the market share of Greyhound Lines in the Northeastern United States.{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB110686461783738528 | title=On the East Coast, Chinese Buses Give Greyhound a Run | first=Barry | last=Newman | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=January 28, 2005 | url-access=subscription}}

By 2006, many Chinatown bus lines operated service to/from casinos popular with Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/11/24/for-many-asians-an-atlantic-city-pilgrimage/a148edba-f996-404e-b562-c2faab587142/ | title=For Many Asians, an Atlantic City Pilgrimage | first=Karin | last=Brulliard | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=November 24, 2006}}{{cite news | last=Assad | first=Matt | url=https://www.mcall.com/2014/04/12/sands-casino-cracks-down-on-bus-riders/ | title=Sands casino cracks down on bus riders | work=The Morning Call | date=April 12, 2014 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite news | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ticket-to-a-new-york-casi_b_5548325 | last=Taft | first=Chloe | title=Ticket to a New York Casino License Is on the Chinatown Bus | work=HuffPost | date=July 2, 2014}} All riders receive free-play vouchers, and some low-income or homeless people sell them before returning to New York.

In 2008, BoltBus was established by Greyhound to compete with the less-expensive Chinatown bus lines,{{Cite news | url=https://www.theawl.com/2011/04/bolt-bus-v-fung-wah-which-cheap-bus-to-boston-is-least-annoying/ | title=Bolt Bus v. Fung Wah: Which Cheap Bus To Boston Is Least Annoying? | first=JIM | last=BEHRLE | work=The Awl | date=April 6, 2011}} but ceased operations in July 2021.{{Cite news | url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/rip-boltbus-the-affordable-trendy-bus-company-has-discontinued-service-and-greyhound-will-take-over-its-routes/ | title=BoltBus, the affordable, trendy bus company has discontinued service; Greyhound will take over its routes | first= Brendan | last=Kiley | work=The Seattle Times | date=July 1, 2021}}

By 2010, service expanded to many major cities across the U.S.{{Cite news | url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9805EEDD1F31F933A15755C0A9669D8B63.html | title=IN TRANSIT; 'Chinatown' Buses Expand Routes | first=LIONEL | last=BEEHNER | work=The New York Times | date=June 20, 2010}}

By 2012, riders of Chinatown buses made up over half the ridership of northeastern intercity buses, bringing annual intercity ridership to over 7 million passengers.

=Shutdowns=

Image:Double Happiness Bus Van Hool C2045 222.jpg]]

Double Happyness Travel, Inc. was shut down in December 2011 after it was called "an imminent hazard" by transportation officials.{{cite news | url=https://gothamist.com/news/feds-shut-down-sketchy-chinatown-bus | title=Feds Shut Down Sketchy Chinatown Bus | first=Jamie | last=Feldmar | work=Gothamist | date=December 29, 2011 | url-access=registration}}

On May 31, 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the shutdown of Apex Bus, I-95 Coach, New Century Travel, and 23 related entities due to safety violations.{{cite news | title=Gov't cracking down on unsafe bus companies operating along East Coast's I-95 corridor | url=https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2012/06/01/gov-t-cracking-down-on/49611467007/ | agency=Associated Press | work=Times Herald-Record | date=May 31, 2012}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1839333/business-lessons-chinatown-buses | title=Business Lessons From Chinatown Buses | first=NEAL | last=UNGERLEIDER | work=Fast Company | date=June 5, 2012}}{{cite news | url=https://www.salon.com/2012/06/09/when_libertarianism_fails/ | title=When libertarianism fails | first=WILL | last=DOIG | work=Salon.com | date=June 9, 2012}}

On March 2, 2013, the United States Department of Transportation shut down Fung Wah Bus Transportation because of its refusal to provide safety records.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/nyregion/chinatown-bus-operator-ordered-to-shut-down.html | title=Cheap Bus Fare Lures Riders Despite Company's Troubles | first=Patrick | last=McGeehan | work=The New York Times | date=February 26, 2013 | url-access=limited}}{{cite news | url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2013/03/02/feds-close-fung-wahs-doors/ | title=Feds close Fung Wah's doors | last=Weir | first=Richard | work=Boston Herald | date=March 2, 2013 | url-access=subscription}} The company was later authorized to resume its bus operations{{cite news | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/12/17/fung-wah-buses-get-federal-approval-return-road/cVHZYM1L9JPR9fJPPaF3DJ/story.html | title=Fung Wah gets federal approval to return to the road | first=Jack | last=Newsham | work=The Boston Globe | date=December 18, 2014 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite news | url=https://www.ibtimes.com/fung-wahs-chinatown-buses-return-road-2015-1763103 | title=Fung Wah's Chinatown Buses To Return To Road In 2015 | first=Connor Adams | last=Sheets | work=International Business Times | date=December 18, 2014}} but shut down anyways in 2015.{{cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/fung-wah-bus-company-closes-doors-good-n394026 | title=Fung Wah Bus Company Shuts Down for Good | first=Chris | last=Fuchs | work=NBC News | date=July 17, 2015}}

On May 25, 2013, a bus operated by Lucky Star was taken out of service when a manhole cover became lodged in its undercarriage.{{cite news | url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-governments-cheap-dishonest-campaign-against-the-chinatown-bus-industry | title=The Government's Cheap, Dishonest Campaign Against the Chinatown Bus Industry | last=Epstein | first=Jim | work=The Daily Beast | date=November 2, 2013}} The company was shut down on June 5 due to "flagrant disregard for motor coach passenger safety".{{Cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lucky-star-bus-line-shut-down-after-inspection/ | title=Investigators: Lucky Star Bus Violations Uncover 'Flagrant Disregard For Passenger Safety' | work=CBS News | date=June 6, 2013}} Lucky Star conducted an extensive bus upgrade and driver program, passed required inspections, and resumed operations in November 2013.{{cite news | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/11/07/lucky-star-buses-will-roll-once-more/6nhaf33y6sXNB8YhFqNTVL/story.html | title=Lucky Star buses will roll once more | last=Johnston | first=Katie | work=The Boston Globe | date=November 7, 2013 | url-access=subscription}}

The shutdowns led to an increase in bus fares and some say the shutdowns were unnecessary. Jim Epstein, a writer for libertarian publication Reason, called the FMCSA practices overly harsh, writing that the agency targets Chinatown bus companies because owners are rarely fluent in English and alleging that inspectors were overly strict about defective components, confiscating several buses for minor issues.{{Cite news | url=https://reason.com/2013/05/07/government-assault-on-chinatown-bus-indu/ | title=Government Assault on the Chinatown Bus Industry Fueled By Bogus Federal Study | first=JIM | last=EPSTEIN | work=Reason | date=May 5, 2013}}

=Post-shutdowns=

Despite these shutdowns, in 2015, Chinatown bus lines operated 5.3 million passenger trips and 48.5 million annual miles of service, up 14% from 2013 and up 26% since 2008.{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-25/report-chinatown-bus-service-once-left-for-dead-is-carrying-more-passengers-than-ever | title=The Triumphant Return of the Chinatown Bus | first=Eric | last=Jaffe | work=Bloomberg News | date=January 25, 2016}}

In May 2019, Eastern Bus, a Chinatown bus line, reached a deal with Flixbus, in which Flixbus handles all marketing and sales for the company.{{cite news | url=https://www.metro-magazine.com/10007212/how-greyhound-coach-usa-sales-will-impact-intercity-bus-lines | title=How Greyhound, Coach USA sales will impact intercity bus lines | first1=Joseph | last1=Schwieterman | first2=Brian | last2=Antolin | work=Metro Magazine | date=July 11, 2019}}

={{anchor|Organized crime ties}}Organized crime related incidents=

File:2000coach-nyc.jpeg

In 2003 and 2004, bus burnings, driver assaults, murders, and other gang violence in New York City were linked to the possible infiltration of Asian organized crime gangs in the industry.{{cite news | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2004/01/19/chinatown-barrage-stumps-cops/ | title=Chinatown barrage stumps cops | first1=Michelle | last1=McPhee | first2=Alice | last2=McQuillan | work=New York Daily News | date=January 19, 2004 | url-access=subscription | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050912181620/http://www.nydailynews.com/01-19-2004/news/crime_file/story/156138p-137188c.html |archive-date=September 12, 2005 | url-status=live}}

Among the crimes associated with gang activity was a deadly shooting in May 2003 on a busy street, which may have been in retaliation for a driver backing his bus into a rival; in revenge, two buses were set on fire the following year. Fatal stabbings occurred in October 2003 and in 2004. The boyfriend of a bus-company employee was fatally shot in an apparent bus feud in January 2004, and a Chinatown bus operator was shot to death two months later.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/mar/7/20040307-114416-4062r/ | title=Chinatown's bus war turning fatal | work=The Washington Times | date=March 7, 2004}} In a June 2004 incident tied to criminal gangs, two people—a Chinatown bus driver and a bystander—were murdered in a bar in Flushing, Queens; another was shot in the leg. The accused shooter was arrested in Toronto in 2011, and was extradited to the United States. After the 2004 shootings, the New York City Police Department increased its enforcement of Chinatown-bus laws. Bus-feud crime subsided by 2007.{{cite news | url=https://hyphenmagazine.com/magazine/issue-12-transit-summer-2007/all-aboard-next-stop-chinatown | last=Kiu | first=Gena | title=All Aboard, Next Stop Chinatown | work=Hyphen| date=August 1, 2007}}

In 2008, the Banya Organization, a Chinese gang, was accused of assaulting employees of Chinatown bus lines in an attempt to extort partial ownership and a share of the profits.{{cite news | url=https://nypost.com/2008/10/23/feds-kung-pow/ | title=Feds' kung pow! | last=Golding | first=Bruce | work=New York Post | date=October 23, 2008}}

In 2013, police confiscated 254 guns and arrested 19 members of the largest gun-smuggling ring in New York City history; the suspects were accused of shipping guns via Chinatown bus lines.{{cite news | title=Photos: Largest Gun Seizure In NYC History Involves Chinatown Buses, Stop & Frisk | last=Robbins | first=Christopher | work=Gothamist | date=August 19, 2013 | url=https://gothamist.com/news/photos-largest-gun-seizure-in-nyc-history-involves-chinatown-buses-stop-frisk | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031111242/http://gothamist.com/2013/08/19/largest_gun_seizure_in_nyc_history.php | archive-date=October 31, 2015 | url-status=live}} In 2020, Chinatown bus lines were again accused of being a conduit for gun trafficking.{{Cite news | url=https://citylimits.org/2020/11/18/cops-say-unlicensed-buses-have-become-hotbed-for-gun-trafficking/ | title=Cops Say Unlicensed Buses Have Become Hotbed for Gun Trafficking | first=Rong | last=Xiaoqing | work=City Limits | date=November 18, 2020}}

=Safety record=

Chinatown buses have been involved in several incidents, and there were 34 intercity bus crashes across the United States from 2001 to 2011. On a 2006 safety scale of 0 to 100, where 0 was the safest and 100 the most dangerous, Chinatown bus lines were rated between 71 and 99; Greyhound was rated 0. "Calculations of safety and risk are inverted," according to a 2013 City University of New York study. A report in 2011 found that curbside Chinatown buses were often more dangerous than buses that stop in terminals.{{cite news | last=Bowen | first=Alison | url=https://www.metro.us/boltbus-megabus-and-fung-wah-curbside-buses-more-dangerous/ | title=Boltbus, Megabus and Fung-Wah: Curbside buses more dangerous: Buses that pick up passengers off the street are more dangerous than those that use a terminal, a new report found | work=Metro International | date=October 31, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615194408/http://www.metro.us/newyork/local/article/1011915--curbside-buses-more-dangerous | archive-date=June 15, 2012 | url-status=live}} As of 2011, many travelers were not discouraged.{{cite news | last=Lewis | first=Sam | url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/118382-blog-travelers-not-deterred-deadly-bus-crashes/ | title=Many Travelers Not Deterred by Deadly Bus Crashes | work=WNYC | date=March 15, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126122101/http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/mar/15/travelers-not-deterred-deadly-bus-crashes/ | archive-date=January 26, 2013 | url-status=live}} Intercity bus crashes are rare.

In February 2004, after several murders connected with employees of rival Chinatown bus companies, officials conducted a surprise inspection and seized buses.{{cite news | url=https://nypost.com/2004/02/18/chinatown-buses-seized/ | title=CHINATOWN BUSES SEIZED | first=Zach | last=Haberman | work=New York Post | date=February 18, 2004}}

In 2012, General Bus, a Chinatown bus line, was noted to have a safety record worse than 99.5% of other intercity bus lines.{{Cite news | url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/is-charlotte-discount-bus-service-safe/275-373441907 | title=General Bus ranks worse than 99.5 percent of motorcoach companies for unsafe driving | work=WCNC-TV | date=February 12, 2012}}

In 2017, federal data showed that three Chinatown bus lines were among the worst safety violators among U.S. intercity bus lines.{{Cite news | url=https://nypost.com/2017/09/24/3-chinatown-bus-companies-are-among-the-nations-worst-feds/ | title=3 Chinatown bus companies are among the nation's worst: feds | first1=Danielle | last1=Furfaro | first2=Max | last2=Jaeger | work=New York Post | date=September 24, 2017}}

=={{anchor|List of accidents|Notable accidents}}Crashes and incidents==

February 8, 2003{{snd}} A bus operated by Dahlia transporting passengers to the Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, spun off the Garden State Parkway and flipped on its side on a snowy embankment, killing two people and injuring 28 people.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/08/nyregion/bus-to-casinos-skids-off-parkway-2-die-and-28-are-injured.html | title=Bus to Casinos Skids Off Parkway; 2 Die and 28 Are Injured | first=Robert D. | last=McFadden | work=The New York Times | date=February 8, 2003 | url-access=limited}}
March 18, 2005{{snd}}A Boston-bound Chinatown bus operated by Lucky Star/Travel Pack stopped and evacuated its passengers on the Massachusetts Turnpike shortly before it burst into flames. No one was injured.
August 16, 2005{{snd}}A New York-bound bus operated by Fung Wah Bus Transportation caught fire on Interstate 91 near Meriden, Connecticut. Although the passengers later criticized the driver for being unhelpful and untrained in evacuating the bus, no injuries were reported.{{cite news | url=https://www.firehouse.com/home/news/10506900/riders-flee-fire-on-bostonnew-york-chinatown-shuttle-bus | title=Riders Flee Fire on Boston-New York Chinatown Shuttle Bus | agency=Associated Press | work=Firehouse.com | date=August 17, 2005}} After the August 2005 bus fire, the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy began conducting three surprise inspections per month on all bus companies leaving Boston's South Station terminal. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York proposed a four-point federal plan which would includes surprise inspections and a national safety standard for bus operators.{{cite news | url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/83893-chinatown-buses-seek-to-add-safety-to-savings/ | title=Chinatown Buses Seek to Add Safety to Savings | first=Lizzie | last=O'Leary | work=WNYC |date=September 15, 2005}}
August 15, 2006{{snd}}A Shun Fa bus traveling from New York to Pittsburgh crashed. Ten passengers were injured, five of whom were hospitalized, one in critical condition.{{cite news | url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2006/08/16/10-hurt-as-tour-bus-crashes/stories/200608160218 | title=10 hurt as tour bus crashes | first=MILAN | last=SIMONICH | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date=August 15, 2006 | url-access=subscription }}
September 6, 2006{{snd}}A bus operated by Fung Wah Bus Transportation rolled over in Auburn, Massachusetts, injuring 34 passengers.{{cite news | url=https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2006/09/06/34-hurt-driver-cited-for/51211635007/ | title=34 hurt, driver cited for Fung Wah bus rollover in Auburn | agency=Associated Press | work=The Portsmouth Herald | date=September 6, 2006}} Excessive speed was cited as a factor and the bus company was fined.{{cite news | url=https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2006/10/31/fung-wah-bus-company-fined/51238052007/ | title=Fung Wah bus company fined for Auburn rollover | agency=Associated Press | work=The Portsmouth Herald | date=October 31, 2006}}
January 3, 2007{{snd}}A bus operated by Fung Wah Bus Transportation lost its back two wheels in Framingham, Massachusetts, early in a trip to New York. No injuries were reported.

{{cite news | url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/fung-wah-bus-loses-wheels/8142020 | title=Fung Wah Bus Loses Wheels | work=WCVB-TV | date=January 3, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613210300/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/10662200/detail.html | archive-date=June 13, 2007 |url-status=live}}

February 14, 2007{{snd}}A bus operated by Fung Wah Bus Transportation en route to New York went out of control and struck a traffic barrier on the Massachusetts Turnpike, I-90, in Allston. No injuries were reported. State officials had advised Fung Wah Bus Transportation to suspend operations because of a winter storm that day.{{cite news | url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/fung-wah-bus-crashes-on-turnpike/8142427 | title=Fung Wah Bus Crashes On Turnpike | work=WCVB-TV | date=February 14, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223121618/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/11011419/detail.html | archive-date=February 23, 2007 | url-status=live}} Fung Wah reached an agreement with regulators in which its buses would be subject to inspections and driver checks for 30 days. The company agreed to improve safety, including removing unclean, unsafe buses from service.{{cite news | url=https://gothamist.com/news/fung-wah-agrees-to-bus-inspections | title=Fung Wah Agrees to Bus Inspections | first=Jen | last=Chung | work=Gothamist | date=September 12, 2006 | url-access=registration}}
February 18, 2007{{snd}}A bus owned by Tremblay Motorcoach and operated by Sunshine Travel caught fire on the Massachusetts Turnpike near interchange 10A in Millbury, Massachusetts. All 50 passengers were evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was unknown. The bus was returning to Chinatown, Boston from the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/east-valley/2007/02/19/passengers-ok-after-bus-fire/52966538007/ | title=Passengers OK after bus fire on Turnpike | work=Telegram & Gazette | first=Kim | last=Ring | date=February 19, 2007}}
March 23, 2007{{snd}}A New York-bound bus operated by Fung Wah Bus Transportation from Boston got stuck on a cement lane divider at a tollbooth on the Massachusetts Turnpike at Massachusetts Route 128 in Weston, Massachusetts, when the driver tried to change lanes. No one was injured, and passengers boarded a later bus.{{cite news | title=Fung Wah Bus Involved In Mishap | url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/fung-wah-bus-involved-in-mishap/8142852 | first=Tim | last=Ryan | work=WCVB-TV | date=March 23, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717044356/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/11346015/detail.html | archive-date=July 17, 2007 | url-status=live}}
May 20, 2007{{snd}}A New York-bound bus crashed in Pennsylvania, killing 2 riders and injuring 32 more.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/20/AR2007052000380_pf.html | title=2 Dead, 32 Hurt in Pa. Bus Crash | last=Armas | first=Genaro C. | agency=The Associated Press | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=May 20, 2007}}File:Fung Wah Bus crash.jpg bus crash]]
June 23, 2008{{snd}}A bus loading passengers was struck by an out-of-control dump truck at the intersection of Canal Street and the Bowery in New York's Chinatown. The impact pushed the bus onto the sidewalk and into a bank. A sign attached to a light pole fell, injuring a 57-year-old woman who later died. Several people, including two police officers, were treated for minor injuries.{{cite news | url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2008/06/24/fung-wah-crash-kills-brooklyn-woman/ | title=Fung Wah crash kills Brooklyn woman | work=Boston Herald | date=June 24, 2008 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/nyregion/24crash.html | title=Woman Is Killed When Truck Hits Bus in Chinatown | first1=Eric | last1=Konigsberg | first2=Colin | last2=Moynihan | work=The New York Times | date=June 24, 2008 | url-access=limited}} State Department of Transportation inspectors found that the dump truck, owned by CPQ Freight Systems, had eight mechanical issues including faulty brakes which led to the crash.{{cite news|title=Rig in fatal crash had faulty brakes | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2008/06/25/rig-in-fatal-crash-had-faulty-brakes/ | first=Tamer | last=El-Ghobashy | work=New York Daily News | date=June 25, 2008 | url-access=subscription | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626190823/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/06/24/2008-06-24_rig_in_fatal_crash_had_faulty_brakes.html | archive-date=June 26, 2008 | url-status=live}}
March 12, 2011{{snd}} World Wide Tours bus crash - A bus operated by World Wide Tours traveling to Chinatown from the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut crashed, killing 15 people.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bus-crash-idUSTRE72D68O20110314 | title=Bus driver in deadly New York crash faces scrutiny | last=Debusmann Jr. | first=Bernd | work=Reuters | date=March 14, 2011}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13crash.html | title=Carnage on I-95 After Crash Rips Bus Apart | first=Robert D. | last=McFadden | work=The New York Times | date=March 13, 2011 | url-access=limited}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703908304576201041862413506 | title=Bus Crash Toll Grows | first1=Andrew | last1=Grossman | first2=Tamer | last2=El-Ghobashy | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=March 15, 2011 | url-access=subscription}} The crash was a result of driver fatigue.{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ntsb-bronx-tour-bus-crash-one-of-the-deadliest-ever-investigated/ | title=NTSB: Bronx Tour Bus Crash 'One Of The Deadliest' Ever Investigated | work=CBS News | date=June 5, 2012}} The driver was charged with manslaughter but was acquitted.{{Cite news | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121207/new-york-city/bus-driver-ophadell-williams-acquitted-of-most-charges-fatal-bronx-crash/ | title=Bus Driver Ophadell Williams Acquitted in Fatal Bronx Crash | first1=Patrick | last1=Wall | first2=Julie | last2=Shapiro | work=DNAinfo | date=December 7, 2012 | access-date=September 24, 2023 | archive-date=February 4, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204115000/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121207/new-york-city/bus-driver-ophadell-williams-acquitted-of-most-charges-fatal-bronx-crash/ | url-status=dead }}
March 14, 2011{{snd}}On the New Jersey Turnpike, a bus crash killed the driver and injured 40, two critically.{{cite news | title=Another fatal bus crash, in N.J. | last1=Paddock | first1=Barry | last2=Nestel | first2=Matthew | work=New York Daily News | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2011/03/15/at-least-two-people-dead-as-bus-crashes-on-the-new-jersey-turnpike/ | date=March 14, 2011 | url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2011/03/15/ny-chinatown-bus-crash-kills-two | title=N.Y. Chinatown Bus Crash Kills Two | work=The Daily Beast | date=March 15, 2011}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-METROB-12833 | title=Another Chinatown Bus in Fatal Crash | first=Andrew | last=Grossman | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=March 15, 2011 | url-access=subscription}} In March 2011, these two crashes led officials to confiscate six buses for inadequate brake air pressure, steering violations, and missing driver paperwork.{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704662604576202891359271496 | title=NYPD Cracks Down on Buses | last1=El-Ghobashy | first1=Tamer | first2=Lisa | last2=Fleisher | first3=Devlin | last3=Barrett | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=March 16, 2011 | url-access=subscription}}
May 31, 2011{{snd}} A commercial tour bus operated by Sky Express crashed on Interstate 95, killing four people and injuring dozens.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/tour-bus-crash-virginia-new-york-charlotte/1919733/ | title=Driver Charged, Bus Company Shut Down After Fatal I-95 Crash | first=Chris | last=Glorioso | work=NBC News | date=May 31, 2011}}{{Cite news | url=https://gothamist.com/news/after-fatal-virginia-crash-chinatown-bus-company-shut-down | title=After Fatal Virginia Crash, Chinatown Bus Company Shut Down | first=Ben | last=Yakas | work=Gothamist | date=June 1, 2011 | url-access=registration}}
September 21, 2014{{snd}}A Chinatown bus overturned and killed two people and injured 48 people in Delaware.{{Cite news | url=https://gothamist.com/news/2-dead-after-chinatown-tour-bus-crashes-in-delaware | title=2 Dead After Chinatown Tour Bus Crashes In Delaware | first=Jen | last=Chung | work=Gothamist | date=September 22, 2014 | url-access=registration}}
March 31, 2015{{snd}} A Chinatown bus hit and killed a pedestrian in Virginia.{{Cite news | url=https://www.pilotonline.com/2016/03/03/lawsuit-chinatown-bus-fatally-hit-pedestrian-on-side-of-road-kept-driving-to-norfolk/ | title=Lawsuit: Chinatown bus fatally hit pedestrian on side of road, kept driving to Norfolk | first=Scott | last=Dougherty | work=The Virginian-Pilot | date=March 3, 2016 | url-access=subscription}}
September 23, 2017{{snd}}A bus operated by Dahlia Group slammed into a city bus in Flushing, killing Dahlia’s driver, a city bus passenger, and a pedestrian, and injuring 16 people.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/nyregion/chinatown-buses-violations-queens-crash.html | title=Budget Bus Lines Flout the Rules With Little Consequence | first1=Patrick | last1=McGeehan | first2=Winnie | last2=Hu | work=The New York Times | date=September 24, 2017 | url-access=limited}}{{Cite news | url=https://jalopnik.com/fatal-bus-crash-in-nyc-reveals-bus-lines-troubling-hist-1818541167 | title=Fatal Bus Crash In NYC Reveals Bus Line's Troubling History | first=Kristen | last=Lee | work=Jalopnik | date=September 19, 2017}}
January 5, 2020{{snd}} A Chinatown bus crash killed five people and injured over 60 people on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2020/01/06/5-dead-including-9-year-old-brooklyn-girl-when-chinatown-bus-crashes-in-massive-pennsylvania-turnpike-pileup/ | title=Brooklyn girl, 2 more NYC residents among 5 dead in Pa. | first=DAVID | last=MATTHEWS | work=New York Daily News | date=January 6, 2020 | url-access=subscription}}

Other criticism

Buses often do not follow their scheduled timetables;{{Cite news | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-take-the-chinatown-bus-from-new-york-to-atlanta-2015-12 | title=I took an 18-hour bus ride from New York City to Atlanta for $40, and I liked it better than flying | first=Alex | last=Lockie | work=Business Insider | date=December 24, 2015}} many are unreliable, sometimes skipping scheduled stops.

Buses are also criticized for being uncomfortable.{{Cite news | url=https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/chinatown-bus-ode-to-a-cheap-thrill-11870560 | title=Chinatown Bus: Ode to a Cheap Thrill | first=JASON | last=NOTTE | work=TheStreet.com | date=March 15, 2013}} Buses are generally older and unmarked.{{cite news | url=https://www.rutgers.edu/news/not-your-parents-greyhound | title=Not Your Parents' Greyhound | work=Rutgers University | date=December 17, 2010}} The buses are also known to break down.{{Cite news | url=https://www.thebillfold.com/2014/07/riding-the-chinatown-bus-and-considering-its-true-cost/ | title=Riding the Chinatown Bus, and Considering Its True Cost | first=MIKE | last=DANG | work=The Awl | date=July 8, 2014}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/forget-it-jake-its-the-chinatown-bus/ | title=Forget It, Jake, It's the Chinatown Bus | work=Vice Media | date=February 28, 2013}}

The curbside bus stops used by Chinatown bus lines led to many complaints from nearby residents and business owners due to noise, pollution, trash, blocked traffic, and sidewalk overcrowding.{{Cite news | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150115/lower-east-side/chinatown-bus-stop-makes-life-unbearable-for-neighbor/ | title=Chinatown Bus Stop Makes Life 'Unbearable' for Neighbor | first=Lisha | last=Arino | work=DNAinfo | date=January 15, 2015 | access-date=September 24, 2023 | archive-date=July 26, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726204453/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150115/lower-east-side/chinatown-bus-stop-makes-life-unbearable-for-neighbor/ | url-status=dead }}{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/nyregion/critics-seek-city-action-to-rein-in-discount-bus-lines.html | title=Critics Wait for City to Rein In Bus Lines | first=Patrick | last=McGeehan | work=The New York Times | date=March 11, 2013 | url-access=limited}} The complaints led to increased regulations in several cities, including permit requirements, bus stop requirements, fines and fees, as well as the construction of the Independence Transportation Center in Philadelphia.{{cite news | url=https://www.metro-magazine.com/10008685/surviving-the-motorcoach-rate-cutting-war | title=Surviving the Motorcoach Rate-Cutting War | last=Starcic | first=Janna | work=Metro Magazine | date=June 1, 2005}}{{Cite news | url=https://dcist.com/story/11/05/17/the-end-of-the-chinatown-bus/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223081733/https://dcist.com/story/11/05/17/the-end-of-the-chinatown-bus/ | url-status=live | archive-date=February 23, 2024 | title=Is This The End of the Chinatown Bus? | first=Aaron | last=Morrissey | work=WAMU | date=May 17, 2011 }}{{Cite news | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120817/chinatown/new-chinatown-bus-rules-signed-into-law/ | title=New Chinatown Bus Rules Signed Into Law | first1=Elizabeth | last1=Hagen | first2=Julie | last2=Shapiro | work=DNAinfo | date=August 17, 2012 | access-date=September 24, 2023 | archive-date=February 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207222111/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120817/chinatown/new-chinatown-bus-rules-signed-into-law/ | url-status=dead }}{{cite news | last=Arino | first=Lisha | title=City Will Begin Fining Illegal Chinatown Buses by August | work=DNAinfo | date=July 16, 2014 | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140716/chinatown/city-will-begin-fining-illegal-chinatown-buses-by-august/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106203800/http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140716/chinatown/city-will-begin-fining-illegal-chinatown-buses-by-august | archive-date=January 6, 2016 | url-status=live}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.metro-magazine.com/10038076/nyc-to-begin-fining-chinatown-buses-by-august | title=NYC to begin fining Chinatown buses by August | work=Metro Magazine | date=July 18, 2014}}{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/nyregion/thecity/08chin.html | work=The New York Times | first=Saki | last=Knafo | title=Dreams and Desperation on Forsyth Street | date=June 8, 2008 | url-access=limited}} These regulations were also allegedly influenced by Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound Lines, which face competition from Chinatown bus lines.{{Cite news | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-passing-of-a-magnificent-wind/ | title=The Passing of a Magnificent Wind | first=John Liam | last=Policastro | work=Vice Media | date=March 2, 2013}}