CHINATOWN — Discount bus company Fung Wah promises a safer ride when its vehicles return to the road later this year, according to its new general manager.
The company plans to implement new equipment and safety procedures and has already repaired its fleet of 13 buses, said Max Louie, who became Fung Wah’s general manager two months ago.
The federal government shut down the low-cost bus operator — known for its $15 daily trips between Boston and New York — over safety violations in 2013.
However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration allowed it to return to the road last December, after the company put in new operation safeguards and passed multiple inspections. Fung Wah, the agency added, would be subject to extra oversight.
Louie said each bus would have an electronic logging system that tracks how long a driver has been behind the wheel, although they will still be required to keep handwritten logs. It also monitors the buses’ locations and how fast they are traveling, he added.
“This tele-tracking is going to tell a lot. Basically we’re going to monitor by GPS when the buses idle and how fast it's going,” Louie said. “We’re going to track that and print out reports on every driver, hopefully on a daily basis, and make sure he’s complying to all the rules and regulations.”
The company has also upped its daily safety checks, Louie said. Before drivers can leave the garage to pick up passengers, they will be required to go through an electronic checklist to see if items like the windshield wipers and brake lights are working properly, he said.
Drivers will only be allowed to leave the garage after a mechanic signs off on the inspection, he said.
Safety compliance officers at each stop in Boston and New York will also do quick inspection of each vehicle before passengers board the bus, even though it is not required by law, Louie said.
An opening date has not been set, Louie said, although he hopes to begin operations in two months. It is also unclear if tickets will continue to be less than $20. Louie said ticket prices had not yet been set but would remain “competitive.”
Fung Wah is still hiring drivers and mechanics, he said, and the company plans to purchase 10 new buses.
The bus operator must also receive a permit from the New York City Department of Transportation before they can start to pick up and drop off passengers in the city. As part of the permitting process, it will go before Community Board 3's transportation committee Wednesday night for public input.
The proposed stop is located in front of 139 Canal St., according to documents posted on CB3’s website. The spot is also a proposed stop for the Lucky River Transportation Corp., which will go before the community board Wednesday as well.
Fung Wah would make 19 pick-ups and drop offs on weekdays and 20 pick-ups and 19 drop offs on weekends from 6:15 a.m. to 11:15 p.m., the documents show.
As part of its agreement to resume operations, the company agreed to limit its trips each way to a dozen during the first 30 days of operation and up to 18 the following month, according to the Boston Globe.
Louie said the company might run even fewer buses its first few months.
“We just got to do things slowly to really get the swing of things,” he said.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration declined to comment on the trip limits.
Community Board 3’s Transportation and Public Safety/Environment Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. on April 22 at the Seward Park Extension, 56 Essex St.
