 "Photo: Blayne Beachem")
While no immediate charges have been filed against Travel Pack, a Boston-based company whose bus caught fire on the Massachusetts Turnpike early last week, Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
The Boston-bound Travel Pack bus caught fire on the turnpike at 2 a.m. Saturday and was destroyed en route from New York's Chinatown.
The driver, along with his 10 passengers, fled only seconds before flames engulfed the bus.
Passengers claimed the driver, Shitong Ou, knew something was wrong, the The Boston Globe reported, and even stopped to check on the bus multiple times before finally pulling over and ordering the passengers off outside the Allston-Brighton tolls.
According to Jason Chung, the manager of the bus company, Ou was given five traffic citations in 2004, but was not reprimanded by the bus company. One of these was a speeding ticket for going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, resulting in the 60-day suspension of his commercial bus license by the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy.
The department inspects every registered commercial bus annually and investigates any complaints, said department executive director Timothy Shevlin. The bus that caught fire was one of the inspected buses last year and was passed by the department, he said.
Following his suspension, Ou was retested for his commercial bus license and passed.
"This accident caused us to review Ou's driving record," Chung said. "When we saw the many past citations, we decided to suspend Ou until the state police have finished their investigation into the fire."
No compensation has been awarded to the passengers, he added.
Other bus companies handle cited drivers differently.
According to Greyhound Bus spokeswoman Kim Plaskett, Greyhound drivers given citations on duty "will be subject to an internal investigation by the company and subjected to appropriate actions."
Greyhound also requires its drivers to pass a seven-week employee training course, more extensive than the course required by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration.
Chung said Travel Pack drivers meet FMCA requirements.
Greyhound also has maintenance buildings throughout the country for its buses that encounter mechanical problems during trips.
Kristine Travel and Tour, the company that owns Travel Pack, was involved in a fatal accident in 2001 that killed four Newton middle school students traveling to Canada, according to the Globe. In a settlement, $15 million was paid to the families of the victims, the Globe reported.
According to Kim Plaskett, a spokeswoman for Greyhound Bus, drivers given citations while on duty "will be subject to an internal investigation by the company and subjected to appropriate actions."
Greyhound also requires its drivers to pass a seven-week employee training course, more extensive than the course required by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration.
Chung said Travel Pack drivers meet FMCA requirements.
Greyhound also has maintenance buildings throughout the country for its buses that encounter mechanical problems during trips.
BU students often prefer Travel Pack buses for their cheap rate - a round trip ticket to New York City costs $30 compared to $55 for a Greyhound ticket.
Students, however, say they are wary of the cheaper ride.
"I feel more comfortable taking a bus from a well-known established company," said Justin Flammia, a College of Arts and Sciences junior. "The driver of the bus travels at the speed limit, the ride is pretty safe. I've never felt concerned like I have heard from people who ride the Chinatown buses."
Other students feel safe on the Chinatown buses, but instead choose Greyhound based on its location.
"For the most part I feel safe although it can get cramped at times and depending on where you are going in the city, it's more convenient to take a Greyhound bus to Port Authority in New York and South Station in Boston," said Mike Ma, a College of Arts and Sciences junior. "For a $10 difference it's not that big of a deal."
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