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FAQ (you got questions, we've got answers)
Q: why are Chinatown bus service so Cheap?
There are a few fundamental differences between the way Chinatown bus companies and traditional bus companies run their operations.
Most Chinatown operators run small,streamlined operations and only offer basic service.
First, most of these operators do not have formal stations; instead they pickup passengers at bus stops. Second, they eschew traditional advertising
in favor of word of mouth buzz. Third, many of the operators play a very hands-on role in the operation-there are no overpaid executives at a small
independent bus company. Finally, and perhaps the most important factor, is that these operators make sure they fill their buses.
That tend to serve only on heavily trafficked routes.
Q: What companies run these Chinatown buses? Do they only run between New York and Boston?
A: There are lots of Chinatown bus companies serving destinations all over the East Coast, but Fung Wah Bus company seems to be the leader
in the space, with an online reservations system and more than eight years of experience running buses and vans between Boston and New York.
But while it's the best known, Fung Wah isn't alone. Below, we break down some of the larger operators and their offerings. For more information,
plus the ability to buy tickets from a number of these bus lines, try hitting up IvyMedia.com.
• Apex Bus -- apexbus.com; NYC, Boston, Providence
• Fung Wah Bus -- fungwahbus.com; NYC, Boston, Providence
• Travel Pack USA/Lucky Star Bus -- travelpackusa.com, luckystarbus.com; NYC, Boston
• Eastern Travel -- nydcexpress.com; NYC, Washington
D.C.
• MVP Bus -- mvpbus.com; NYC, Boston, Providence
• P2P Circulator-- p2pcirculator.com; NYC, Boston,
Providence
• DragonCoach -- dragoncoach.com; NYC, Philadelphia,
Washington D.C
• Sunshine Travel -- sunshineboston.com; NYC, Boston, Mohegan Sun
• Boston Deluxe -- bostondeluxe.com; NYC, Boston, Hartford
• New Century Travel -- 2000coach.com; NYC, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.
Q: So, these companies are legit?
• A: Yes. No. Maaaybe. Fung Wah's eight year track record and claims of approval from the Federal Highway Administration and U.S.
Department of Transportation were enough to convince us that they were legit. Travel Pack USA, and the others we list, appear to be solid,
as well. On a surface level, these operators seem to be owned by local entrepreneurs who have set up bus companies to meet the need for
low-cost travel between ethnic areas where recent immigrants have pooled. (There are similar buses for Orthodox Jews and Haitians.)
That said, a story in the July 16 edition of the New York Daily News suggested that some of bus companies may be in cahoots with organized crime,
which isn't shocking when you consider interstate bus travel is a largely cash business with limited regulation. Competition between rivals can be
fierce, and after De Jian Chen, a partner in the Today Travel bus company, was found riddled with bullets, the Daily News reported that Manhattan D.A.'s
office was looking at a racketeering case. There have been incidents of buses being set on fire and bus accidents and improper insurance. If all
of this is true, depending on which line you choose, then you could very well be supporting organized crime by taking a Chinatown bus. At $21 a round-trip,
we'll look the other way and stick with the online sites until the Manhattan D.A. starts pressing charges.
Q: How about their service
Chinatown buses run express, usually making no stops between the departure and destination points. This typically results in shorter travel times.
The aforementioned trip from State College, PA to New York City takes about four hours on the Chinatown bus, compared to over seven hours on Greyhound.
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. Some lines even simply collect cash-payment after passengers have boarded the bus. However, tickets are often sold online, either
by the bus companies themselves or by portals such a,www.Chinatown-Bus.com, and print-outs of confirmation emails are used as tickets.
Except in Boston,
the lines rarely use 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. The sidewalk here, between Canal Street and East Broadway,
serves as a de facto terminal.Because of the informal "no-frills" nature of Chinatown bus service, disabled passengers have complained about the lack of handicapped access.
Q:Are they safe?
When these companies first started operating, concerns were raised about safety standards. There is still controversy within the bus industry about whether these
newcomers are complying with the same regulations as the traditional companies. Nonetheless, all bus companies operating in the U.S. must all undergo the same
inspection standards and must comply with the same rules. As in any industry there is a range of quality among bus carriers. Some are fly-by-night operators that
try to cut corners while others are legitimate entrepreneurs who plan to grow and operate a long term business. Check out the Bus Forum to see get the inside scoop
on different bus companies.
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