But hair-raising traffic accidents of some Chinese-run buses are still rooted in the public consciousness. For instance, a Boston-bound Fung Wah bus from New York crashed and injured 34 last September. Another bus of Fung Wah caught fire on the side of Interstate 91 in Connecticut in August of 2005. The company was fined $44,000 for violating federal safety laws in 2006. Fung Wah recently hired Massachusetts transportation consultant Joe Mokrisky to right its bad records.
Eric Ng, who is president of Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and called the "Chinatown mayor," said consumers should not sacrifice their safety for money. “Fewer accidents seem to happen in Boston, since Boston requires buses to pick up and discharge passengers at South Station terminal. And that enhances safety,” Ng said.
Some Chinese buses save costs by selling tickets at the curbside, using less experienced drivers and paying below-union wages. Ng said sometimes the same bus companies are registered under different names so that the company’s accident record doesn’t look as bad.
OK Travel Bus Inc. refused to comment on the accident.
