CBS News Investigation Exposes Ties Between Bus Companies and Safety Violations

A CBS News investigation revealed that the company operating a bus involved in a deadly crash in Virginia has ties to a network of travel firms. This network includes one firm shut down a decade ago due to frequent speeding violations. Federal authorities are investigating these connections.

These operators, known as chameleon carriers, continue business by forming new companies with different names, yet maintain the same locations, personnel, and sometimes buses. This practice has been identified in over 10,000 cases nationwide.

It’s about hiding who you are, said Rob Carpenter, a safety consultant. When a company disappears and reappears, all issues with unqualified drivers vanish until another accident brings them to light.

On May 29, an E&P Travel Inc. bus crashed into traffic stopped at a work zone on I-95 in Virginia, killing five and injuring many. This incident mirrors a 2024 crash in North Carolina involving the same company.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating E&P Travel Inc.’s links to over a dozen bus companies operating in the Northeast. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is part of this investigation.

Companies, trainers, or schools involved in employing unqualified drivers will face scrutiny, said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Yet, FMCSA declined to share investigation details.

E&P Travel has faced several violations, including severe speeding and an unqualified driver failing an English test. However, FMCSA gave them a satisfactory safety rating in April. Jing S. Dong, the bus driver from last week’s crash, faces five involuntary manslaughter charges.

E&P Travel, incorporated in North Carolina in 2023, listed its headquarters as a residential address and Shuo Liu as CEO. Efforts to reach Liu have been unsuccessful. Federal filings list Joyce Gao as an officer, who is also named as CEO of Super Bus Inc. in motorcoach directories.

Ronghai Gao, Super Bus Inc.’s president, denied Joyce Gao’s current association with the company. He declined to clarify his relation to Joyce Gao or discuss her simultaneous employment at E&P Travel.

Super Bus also holds a satisfactory FMCSA rating despite multiple violations. Joyce and Ronghai Gao are linked with various busing operations in the Northeast, including Pandora Travel Inc.

Pandora Travel, once headquartered in Massachusetts, faced federal allegations of continuous safety violations and non-compliance. Investigators noted unsafe practices and a driver with numerous violations.

Pandora’s regulatory troubles included a severe snowstorm incident in 2014 in New Jersey. Further FMCSA inspection revealed ongoing speeding violations.

In 2014, Pandora settled with regulators but was ordered to shut down in 2017 for evading regulatory compliance. Despite attempts to continue operations under specific conditions, Pandora couldn’t maintain necessary safety standards.