A widely-used Massachusetts’ bus company, Fung Wah, has been temporarily shut down by federal officials over safety concerns. The popular bus company is known for their inexpensive bus tickets and offers services from Boston to New York City.
In an effort to prevent bus accidents, the federal government told the bus company to stay off the road after their buses failed state and federal safety inspections. After the bus company failed the safety inspections, the state inspector said the company was an “imminent hazard” and ordered 21 of their buses to stop driving. Later, the federal Transportation Department told the bus company to stop all service because of safety concerns found during vehicle inspections.
State and federal inspectors said that the company’s buses pose a serious safety concern, including structural issues that could cause serious accidents if the buses continued to be on the road. The state inspection listed that multiple oil leaks in the engine were found, lights were not working and one bus door had a broken safety latch. The state inspector said that five buses were in such poor condition that they had to be towed after their inspection.
This is not the first time the Fung Wah bus company has been cited for safety violations. In 2005, a fire started during a bus trip and in 2006, a bus was in a rollover accident that injured 34 people.
Bus companies routinely have state and federal safety inspections to make sure their carriers are safe for passengers and on the road. This case shows how state and federal agencies investigate safety issues. If a company has significant safety issues, they can be shut down to prevent accidents and injuries from happening, showing just how important it is to continue inspecting commercial carriers.
Source: Time, “Discount Bus Company Fung Wah Suspended After Failing Safety Inspections,” Erica Ho, Feb. 27, 2013
