Chinatown bus lines
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Chinatown bus lines, also called 野雞車 (yě jī chē, which translates as wild chicken trucks) in Chinese, refers to the private transportation industry that has arisen in the Chinatown communities of the East Coast of the United States during the 1990s. Similar Chinese American-run bus services are cropping up on the West Coast.
The companies typically use large (50 to 60 passenger) buses comparable to those used by other passenger bus lines and often screen movies for riders.
History
The first company to offer such services was the Fung Wah Bus, which began routes between New York City and Boston in 1995. The bus service was originally intended for transporting ethnic Chinese restaurant workers from one Chinatown to Chinatowns in other cities. Now, some bus lines are also used to transport large groups of mainly Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants to and from casinos such as Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, which are located in Connecticut. The industry has quickly spread and many competitors offer discount prices that undercut the major bus lines. Typical fares between East Coast cities range from $10 to $20. The industry has become highly competitive with companies offering hourly service between major cities.
Increasing popularity has also lead to increasing regulatory interest. In September 2004, the City of Boston required Chinatown bus services to shift their operations from the city's Chinatown to the South Station transportation terminal.
Operation
In addition to New York City and Boston, several bus line companies also link to the Chinatowns of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Doraville in the Atlanta, Georgia area, and other cities. On the West Coast, buses link the Chinatowns in the San Francisco Bay area, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles Chinatown and the San Gabriel Valley, and the Las Vegas Chinatown and casinos.
The use of such lines is very informal. Often ticket booths are walk-up windows on the street, or are located inside restaurants and bakeries throughout a given Chinatown community. With the exception of Boston, the lines use no stations of their own. Passengers are usually directed to wait along a given curbside for the arrival of the bus, although many companies offer waiting areas at or near the pickup points. Several bus stops are also near major hotels and in the parking areas of major Chinese supermarkets. In New York, several bus lines pick up passengers on a stretch of Forsyth Street at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge (marked as "88 East Broadway" on itineraries). The sidewalk here, between Canal Street and East Broadway, serves as a de facto terminal .
Given their relatively competitive fares to the mainstream Greyhound Lines, it has become popular among non-Chinese customers as well, especially students. The bus service has gained such popularity that it was mentioned in several articles in the New York Times and on the radio programs Marketplace and Morning Edition on National Public Radio.
The bus routes have expanded with three bus companies now running between Manhattan Chinatown and Virginia Beach/Norfolk. Today's Bus has a station in Norfolk and Tiger Travel has one in Virginia Beach.
Recent events
In early 2004, up to three murders in New York City were linked the possible infiltration of Asian organized crime gangs into the industry.
On March 18, 2005, a Boston-bound Chinatown bus operated by Travel Pack stopped and evacuated its passengers on the Massachusetts Turnpike shortly before bursting into flames. No one was injured. The Boston Globe [covered] the incident.
In July 2005, Fung Wah Bus, a Boston-New York carrier, attracted the attention of the Massachusetts attorney general for illegally refusing to transport handicapped passengers. The Boston Herald [covered] the matter.
On August 16, 2005, a New York-bound Fung Wah 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. [link].
After the August 16 incident, the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy instituted a policy of holding three surprise inspections per month on all bus companies that leave South Station in Boston. New York senator Chuck Schumer proposed a four-point federal plan that includes surprise inspections and creating a national safety standard for bus operators. New York may institute a similar policy; however, inspections would be difficult in New York because the buses do not all leave the city from the same location. WNYC ran a short [news story] on the topic.
In February 2006, a [surprise inspection] on Forsyth Street in New York's Chinatown resulted in two Washington-bound buses being pulled temporarily out of service and a driver running away from authorities.
Bus companies
- [AABus Baltimore/New York]
- [Today's Bus] - uses Prevost Car H3-45
- [Dragon Coach] - Motor Coach Industries D4500
- [Boston Deluxe] (Boston, Hartford, and NYC)
- [Dragon Deluxe] - uses Prevost Car H3-45
- [Eastern Travel]
- [Fung Wah Bus] (Boston and NYC) - uses Prevost Car H3-45
- [Lucky Star Bus] - Setra S-series
- [New Century Travel] (NYC, Washington, and Philadelphia)
- [Washington Deluxe] - Motor Coach Industries E4500
- [Tiger Travel Bus] (NYC and VA Beach) - Motor Coach Industries E4500
External links
- [Chinatown-Bus.org] Comprehensive list of Chinatown bus lines
- [GotoBus.com] search portal for bus travel
- [IvyMedia.com] compare, search and ticket most Chinatown bus lines (40+ bus lines)
- [Chinatown bus lines] in New York City.
- [Murder and Vice on the Lower East Side] A Master's thesis from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism on the Chinatown buses.
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