By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer
BOSTON – Practically everyone enjoys a good road trip, right? For some, even if the mode of transportation came with patches of sketchiness here and there, at least it made for hassle-free driving. Such was the case with the once very popular, especially among students, Fung Wah Bus service that began in 1996. Past passengers can attest to the fact that there was rarely a dull moment on those Boston to New York City travels, often taking a risk for the thrill of an adrenaline rush. Besides, fare was pleasantly cheap.
Wild experiences
Wild experiences like observing the driver puff on a cigarette while refueling a busload of passengers or waiting on the side of the road for a replacement bus were relatively common. Those who rode remember well.
RoRo Eugene wrote on Facebook:
“Here is a ghetto story y’all! I was on one heading to NYC and once we got to the Bronx there was traffic. Why did someone open the emergency window and jump out the bus! Talking about my stop is here! I was in disbelief.”
Will Dickerson added:
“We risked it all for $10.”
And Rachel Devaney posted:
“This is so true! Ahhhhh, the days of Fung Wah. I will say I loved their stops at Chinese food buffets – I lived for that.”
The bus had such a reputation that even the animated sitcom “American Dad” gave a nod in a Season 10 episode titled “American Fung,” featuring a Chinese billionaire character named Fung Wah who buys “American Dad” after Seth MacFarlane parts with the show.
Not without troubles
The motorcoach company was not without its troubles. Several of them, in fact. For example, on August 16, 2005, a New York-bound bus caught fire on Interstate 91 near Meriden, Connecticut. Although the passengers later criticized the driver for being less than helpful and untrained in evacuating the bus, they were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
On September 6, 2006, a bus rolled over in Auburn, injuring 34 passengers. Excessive speed was cited as a factor and the bus company was fined and in February 2007, the driver of a New York-bound bus lost control in a winter storm and hit a guardrail on the I-90 Massachusetts Turnpike in Allston. No injuries were reported. Other citations collected by the company included failure to use care in stopping, negligent care while operating a vehicle and maintaining a false driver’s log.
In 2013, the US Department of Transportation ordered all of the Fung Wah buses off the road, but the company continued to operate through charter buses, even re-securing its Manhattan pickup stop. By 2015, Fung Wah Bus Company closed down for good.
Over the years, more bus companies rose through the ranks. Those that provided better services with a focus on safety issues survived. Others did not. Lucky Star was another budget-friendly favorite until the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered Boston-based passenger carrier Lucky River Transportation Corporation, which did business as Lucky Star to immediately cease all operations, declaring that its vehicles and drivers posed an imminent hazard to public safety in 2019.
Other bus lines
In November 2022, FlixBus welcomed Lucky Star passengers after partnering with the company in providing daily transportation service between New York City and Boston, with an additional stop in Framingham.
Other regional bus lines like Yankee Line promise safety measures as a priority and is a Department of Defense-approved carrier. Headquartered in Springfield, Peter Pan Bus Lines operates service to and from Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Named after his sons favorite storybook, “Peter Pan,” the company was founded by Peter Carmine Picknelly in 1933 with two Buick limousines for public transportation.
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