Family-run bus company could go out of business, stranding NJ riders

A nearly century-old bus company in New Jersey could soon be out of business, leaving riders stranded.

A&C Bus runs four routes along Jersey City’s west side, but now the company says it will likely have to shut down in October unless it can get help from NJ Transit.

The company announced it would be discontinuing service last week, after nearly 100 years in business. Mary Beth Callahan’s grandfather moved to the U.S. from Italy and started the business with one bus in 1927.

“I’ve been losing money since COVID and I can’t hold on. This wasn’t an easy decision and it breaks my heart,” Callahan said.

Since the pandemic in 2020, A&C owners say they’ve seen ridership on the 30, 31, 32, and 33 lines plummet by 40 percent. Without help from NJ Transit, Callahan says she’s losing more money every day.

“We have not recovered from COVID, the only thing that sustained us were the two grants we got of federal money,” Callahan added.

NJ Transit said it will offer jobs to all A and C employees, but added it may not have the resources to replace the discontinued bus lines.

While NJ Transit may absorb some of the A and C routes, people like Norma Lozaro and Anita Corpuz may find themselves searching for another way to get around.

Lozaro, 77, and Corpuz, 82, are sisters who rely on the bus to do their shopping at Newport Mall. They also the bus to church every Sunday on a route that may no longer by running by Halloween.

The Jersey City mayor is trying to ensure that there is enough public transportation on the city’s west side. Vía, the rideshare company, is operating in the area for $2 a ride as part of a subsidized effort by the city and may be able to fill in some of the gaps left when A&C shuts down at the end of October.