In an attempt to cripple its curbside carrier competition, Stagecoach Group’s Megabus.com has been asking federal regulators to restrict BoltBus from adding certain routes. Boltbus is operated jointly by Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound Lines.
According to Bloomberg.com, Megabus has filed at least three challenges with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board since May 2010. Megabus is currently the largest curbside carrier in the U.S., while Greyhound is the largest U.S. bus company.
Megabus contends that Greyhound and Peter Pan are exploiting a co-operating arrangement approved by regulators more than 10 years ago before the birth of BoltBus. If the agreement was ended, both companies could be forced to run separate services. Last March Megabus petitioned the Surface board to end BoltBus’ service between Newark, NJ and Washington, D.C., claiming it was not authorized to do so in the 1997 agreement. A month later the STB ruled against Megabus’ initial appeal. The board has not ruled on Megabus’ March charge.