Chinatown’s Fung Wah Bus will soon hit the streets again.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shut down the company’s operations for 18 months due to the unsafe conditions of its buses, but the fleet will again be transporting passengers between New York and Boston for cheap by early 2015 The FMCSA originally prohibited the operation of 21 of Fung Wah’s 28 motor coaches as a result of cracked frames, poor driver fitness and extended hours of service. The company also came under fire for forgoing drug and alcohol testing on its drivers. One Fung Wah bus ran over two pedestrians near the Manhattan Bridge on January 8 last year. Six weeks later, the feds shut down its service.
At the conclusion of its investigation, the agency appointed an administrative law judge to decide on Fung Wah’s fate, as well as the possibility of a civil penalty.
On Wednesday, the bus company’s operations were restored and 13 of its buses and drivers were authorized to carry passengers. Rides are expected to launch in January.
The decision comes after Fung Wah spent a reported $400,000 to upgrade its fleet of buses, hire a safety manager and retrain its drivers.
Chinatown-Boston bus line returning
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