Riding to Boston for a weekend just got a whole lot more expensive. Following a series of recent high-profile accidents and allegations of driver misconduct, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shut down 26 Philadelphia- and New York–based bus operators this afternoon. According to the Times, it is the “biggest crackdown in the history” of the federal department. In a statement, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said “These aggressive enforcement actions against unsafe bus companies send a clear signal: If you put passengers’ safety at risk, we will shut you down.” Passengers on the Chinatown bus (as the services are colloquially known) generally don’t get onboard expecting a smooth and careful ride; rather, they’ve decided cheapo fare and relatively quick trips are worth the risk of braving the often notoriously breakneck driving. That’s no longer their calculation to make.
