An advocacy group cited anomalies in how the board classified motorcoach operators and calculated fatality rates, raising doubts about the report's conclusion that curbside companies, including most Chinatown carriers, are about seven times more likely to have passenger deaths than companies using terminals.

The owner of Illini Tours, Robert L. Frazier, is also the owner of Lex Express Inc./Lincolnland Express, a passenger carrier ordered to shut down by FMCSA in December 2012 for multiple violations, including making false entries on vehicle maintenance records.

Chicago’s Pace Suburban Bus ordered 13 Commuter Coaches, with an option for 37 more. Meanwhile, York County, Penn.’s rabbittransit took delivery of three new MCI Commuter Coaches, and Beaumont, Texas’ Sun Travel Trailways received its very first MCI J4500.

Safety investigators found that Autobuses Zacatecanos failed to ensure that its vehicles were systematically and properly inspected, repaired and maintained. Onsite inspections of the carrier’s four buses revealed such numerous and serious safety violations that all four vehicles were immediately declared out of service.

With fares starting as low as $1, megabus.com has expanded rapidly over the course of its seven-year existence, from serving seven cities to/from Chicago in April 2006 to now serving more than 100 cities across North America.

Investigators found that Salt Lake Shuttles failed to monitor and ensure that its drivers complied with federal hours-of-service regulations. Drivers frequently made round-trip journeys from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, a distance of approximately 840 miles, without rest, in violation of hours-of-service rules.

Dolphin Transportation issued a statement saying as many as 50 people were on the bus, and 17 people, including the driver, sustained injuries.

Coach USA Tour Inc. operates a small fleet of tour buses and primarily provides sightseeing tours in the northeastern U.S. The company is “NOT affiliated in any way with Paramus, N.J.-based Coach USA Inc.,” according to the FMCSA.

A review of company records by FMCSA investigators found that Destiny Tours had, on five occasions, operated in interstate commerce without obtaining proper federal authority and beyond the scope of its registration.

Company redesigned the model for 2013, giving it a taller look and stylish LED headlights. It also features more than 30 improvements, including brushless motors and an optimized, more fuel-efficient powertrain that can achieve nine miles per gallon at highways speeds.