Court orders shutdown of Chinatown bus service

By Sam Wood, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: January 27, 2012

Federal officials have obtained a court order requiring a Chinatown bus company to cease all operations after it defied a previous order to shut down.

Double Happyness Bus Co. transports passengers along the Northeast Corridor, making stops in Philadelphia on the way to Washington, New York City, and Albany, N.Y.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation declared Double Happyness an "imminent hazard to safety" after a federal review found numerous serious violations in hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and controlled-substance and alcohol testing.

The restraining order issued by a federal court in Philadelphia was delivered to the China Bowl Restaurant on Rockledge Avenue in Huntingdon Valley, Double Happyness' apparent corporate offices, authorities said.

A man answering the phone at the restaurant denied any knowledge of the bus company.

The department ordered the company to shut down all transportation operations by Dec. 23. But according to federal officials, Double Happyness continued to sell bus tickets and operate its routes.

"We will continue to use every legal roadside enforcement tool at our disposal to protect the traveling public and remove unsafe bus companies from our roads," said Anne S. Ferro, administrator of DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The restraining order cited four violations of controlled-substance and alcohol use; said two drivers had failed preemployment drug tests; and said the company had filed 49 false driver reports and violated several inspection and maintenance regulations.

Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 215-854-2796 or samwood@phillynews.com.

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