Posted by: Captain Haddock January 4, 2007
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Fung Wah in the news again! This from the BostonGlobe
Wheel scare halts Fung Wah bus trip
Mishaps continue for bargain carrier
The driver of this Fung Wah bus pulled into the Framingham service plaza on the Pike after noticing "a strange sensation." (WCVB-Channel 5 video frame)
A set of rear wheels loosened on a Boston-bound Fung Wah bus yesterday, barely hanging on the coach after it had traveled nearly 200 miles at highway speeds on an early-morning trip from New York.
None of the 30 passengers on board was injured, but State Police cited the company for failure to properly maintain equipment. It was the latest mishap for the discount bus line, which has been under state and federal scrutiny since a string of maintenance and operation problems starting in August 2005.
State Police Sergeant Robert Dousquet said the driver of the bus, Xing Lee of New York, told investigators he pulled into the Framingham service plaza of the Massachusetts Turnpike at 7:40 a.m. after feeling "a strange sensation" while driving the vehicle. Police credited him for noticing something amiss and pulling over before the wheels completely separated from the rear axle, possibly causing a crash. He was not cited.
State Police arrived to find the two right rear wheels dangling from the bus axle. Investigators said the bolts appeared to have sheared off, an indication that the lug nuts may not have been properly tightened.
Fung Wah operates 20 full-size motor coaches that can each carry 42 passengers. They have 10 wheels -- two in the front, and four sets of two in the rear. Six of the rear wheels on the bus yesterday were still in place.
The bus passed its most recent state inspection, on Nov. 29. Officials with the state Department of Telecommunications and Energy, which regulates commercial bus lines and oversees the inspections, said they are asking Fung Wah officials for detailed repair reports on the 2001 Van Hool bus since that inspection.
"Our investigation is ongoing" said Timothy J. Shevlin Jr. , the agency's executive director.
Fung Wah will also now be required to attach colored, plastic ties on each lug nut so it's easier to see if they have loosened, Shevlin said. MBTA buses already have the indicator ties.
The Fung Wah bus was about 20 miles from South Station in Boston when the incident occurred. As it was towed away, another coach picked up the passengers.
The bus line offers $15 one-way trips between Boston and New York, a route popular with college students and bargain hunters that started eight years ago.
In the most serious prior incident, a coach rolled over while rounding an Interstate 290 ramp in Auburn in September , slightly injuring 34 passengers headed to Boston. State Police blamed excessive speed.
In October, Fung Wah was fined $31,100 for violating federal safety regulations. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration said Fung Wah improperly hired drivers who couldn't speak English and who regularly exceeded speed limits.
More at - http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/01/04/wheel_scare_halts_fung_wah_bus_trip/?p1=MEWell_Pos5
The driver of this Fung Wah bus pulled into the Framingham service plaza on the Pike after noticing "a strange sensation." (WCVB-Channel 5 video frame)
A set of rear wheels loosened on a Boston-bound Fung Wah bus yesterday, barely hanging on the coach after it had traveled nearly 200 miles at highway speeds on an early-morning trip from New York.
None of the 30 passengers on board was injured, but State Police cited the company for failure to properly maintain equipment. It was the latest mishap for the discount bus line, which has been under state and federal scrutiny since a string of maintenance and operation problems starting in August 2005.
State Police Sergeant Robert Dousquet said the driver of the bus, Xing Lee of New York, told investigators he pulled into the Framingham service plaza of the Massachusetts Turnpike at 7:40 a.m. after feeling "a strange sensation" while driving the vehicle. Police credited him for noticing something amiss and pulling over before the wheels completely separated from the rear axle, possibly causing a crash. He was not cited.
State Police arrived to find the two right rear wheels dangling from the bus axle. Investigators said the bolts appeared to have sheared off, an indication that the lug nuts may not have been properly tightened.
Fung Wah operates 20 full-size motor coaches that can each carry 42 passengers. They have 10 wheels -- two in the front, and four sets of two in the rear. Six of the rear wheels on the bus yesterday were still in place.
The bus passed its most recent state inspection, on Nov. 29. Officials with the state Department of Telecommunications and Energy, which regulates commercial bus lines and oversees the inspections, said they are asking Fung Wah officials for detailed repair reports on the 2001 Van Hool bus since that inspection.
"Our investigation is ongoing" said Timothy J. Shevlin Jr. , the agency's executive director.
Fung Wah will also now be required to attach colored, plastic ties on each lug nut so it's easier to see if they have loosened, Shevlin said. MBTA buses already have the indicator ties.
The Fung Wah bus was about 20 miles from South Station in Boston when the incident occurred. As it was towed away, another coach picked up the passengers.
The bus line offers $15 one-way trips between Boston and New York, a route popular with college students and bargain hunters that started eight years ago.
In the most serious prior incident, a coach rolled over while rounding an Interstate 290 ramp in Auburn in September , slightly injuring 34 passengers headed to Boston. State Police blamed excessive speed.
In October, Fung Wah was fined $31,100 for violating federal safety regulations. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration said Fung Wah improperly hired drivers who couldn't speak English and who regularly exceeded speed limits.
More at - http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/01/04/wheel_scare_halts_fung_wah_bus_trip/?p1=MEWell_Pos5