Feds shut down Fung Wah bus line
Passengers prepare to load a Fung Wah bus before leaving Manhattan for Boston August 4, 2008 in New York City.
BOSTON — The US Department of Transportation said on Tuesday that it ordered the Fung Wah bus line to shut down.
The department said, it told Fung Wah to "immediately cease passenger service and provide its entire fleet of 28 motorcoaches for thorough and detailed safety inspections by qualified inspectors," according to The Boston Globe.
The discount bus line runs primarily between Boston and New York's Chinatown.
The announcement came after officials in the state of Massachusetts found serious issues on eight buses in the fleet, including cracks in the frames, the Associated Press reported.
The shut down will allow officials to inspect the entire fleet, not just the 21 buses Fung Wah had previously agreed to take off the road, the AP said.
On Monday, Department of Public Utilities Chairwoman Ann Berwick said, "We have asked the federal Department of Transportation to declare an imminent hazard which would effectively shut down the company until it could operate" safely, according to The Boston Herald.
Fung Wah has had a poor history with safety, having been fined $31,100 in 2006 for violating federal regulations.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!