The line begins to form before 8 a.m. in Chinatown every Saturday. College students and other Boston residents buy their tickets early with hopes of catching the 10 a.m. bus from Chinatown, Boston to Chinatown, New York. Some fight their way onto the bus at 8; others get shoved aside and wait for the next ride.
But it’s worth it, they say, to spend only $10 on a one-way ticket.
‘Every seat was full and the place was busy. But it’s way better than taking another bus. I think I saved about $80 to $90 every time,’ said Boston University College of Communication junior Marcel Escaler, who has taken the Chinatown bus eight times to visit his family in New York.
Most students say they ride the Chinatown buses because of the cheap tickets. But Lucky Star Bus, one of the two companies that provide buses between Boston and New York, was founded as a mode of transportation for the elderly population in New York, according to A Leung, general manager of Lucky Star, who spoke through the translation of Ricky Chan, manager of the Boston affiliate of the company.
‘The community members had a hard time traveling because they got dropped off or picked up at a place besides Chinatown,’ Leung said. ‘They didn’t speak English, so it was convenient for Chinese speakers to have a bus to drive them.’
By 1995, two companies offered buses from Chinatown to Chinatown: Travel Pack USA and Fung Wah Transportation, Inc. A third company, Lucky Star, entered the market last April, and later merged with Travel Pack, but the companies still use their original names. Combining and cutting two staffs allowed the newly merged company to lower its prices and attract more customers, Leung said.
‘[The price] was supposed to be a promotional wave,’ he said. ‘We thought that the elderly citizens would like it, but soon everyone found out about the $10 through the internet or other people.’
Soon Fung Wah lowered its price to $10 where the price will remain until further notice, according to Fung Wah’s website. Fung Wah could not be reached for further comment.
But Leung said the going price for Lucky Star and Travel Pack will not be permanent. He said the company’s costs and profits are evening out but prices need to be increased so the company can increase its revenue.
The costs of running the business include $45,000 to purchase each bus, $250 to $300 for gasoline on a round-trip and $2,000 a month for maintenance like changing the oil and cleaning the bus, Leung said.
‘Additionally, we have to pay for the insurance for the passengers, driver and bus [and] the cost of labor for the driver,’ he said.
STUDENT CONCERNS
Safety on and outside of the buses are important to Lucky Star and Travel Pack, Chan said.
‘We have a strict hiring process for drivers because we understand that not anyone can drive a large bus in the small streets of either Chinatown,’ he said, noting that in addition to passing a written bus license exam, the drivers are specially trained to maneuver the buses through Chinatown.
Still, some passengers said the drivers travel at an alarming speed.
‘I once had a psychotic driver who made it from New York to Boston in three hours,’ said Kristyl Kim, a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services junior. ‘The driver went fast – but for the most part, Greyhound does too.’
The company’s lack of infrastructure is also cause for concern, some riders said, referring to the outdoor booth where customers purchase tickets and wait for the bus to arrive.
‘When the business grows, we would like to have a place where the customers don’t have to wait outside,’ Leung said.
Until then, all three businesses offer ticket sales online.
‘People [have] responded really well to buying the tickets online,’ Chan said. ‘They don’t have to wait in line for an hour for the bus and they don’t have to wait outside.’
But Deborah Chu, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said she prefers to buy her tickets in person.
‘Since I know that [the bus] comes every hour, it’s a lot easier to just go when I want and then wait for the bus,’ she said.
Another complaint Leung said he hears often is that the company’s boarding procedure is disorganized.
‘They kind of shaft you,’ said Hilla Israeli, a CAS junior.
‘Expect a huge mob and don’t expect to communicate,’ she warned future passengers, noting that employees have yelled at the crowd of passengers on previous trips.
Israeli said she finds it best to go an hour in advance in case a lot of people are waiting in line.
Despite concerns about the location and organization of the companies, many students say they remain satisfied with their experiences.
‘What I like about [the company] is that it’s cheap, it’s convenient and they drive really fast,’ Chu said. ‘More than money being saved, I save a lot of time. The location and bus are kind of sketch but it doesn’t matter because it gets me where I want to go on time or earlier.’
Escaler, the student from New York, agreed.
‘You definitely get your money’s worth,’ he said. ‘You have to remember that you’re not paying for first-class train seats. Considering what you pay, you shouldn’t expect an automated teller or some director. It is what you pay for.’