WASHINGTON The federal governments chief bus safety administrator spent 10 hours riding curbside intercity motorcoaches between Washington and New York late last month, pronouncing the experience safe and comfortable.

John Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, hopped on a BoltBus at the corner of 11th and G streets Northwest, roughly a mile and a quarter from his office in Washington, and traveled five hours to New York City for a conference.

BoltBus is the curbside operation set up by Greyhound Lines and Peter Pan Bus Lines that began operating in the northeastern U.S. early this spring. Bolt is designed to meet the competition posed by the so-called Chinatown bus operators that have mushroomed during the past five years.

A few hours later, Hill boarded an as yet unidentified Chinatown bus for the return trip to Washington.

In writing about his experience on the Internet, Hill gave little indication as to what prompted him to use the cut-rate bus lines, other than to say he decided he wanted "to personally experience a relative newcomer to the transportation industry: curbside bus carriers."

Hill says he bought his tickets online and quickly noted the distinctions between curbside operators and traditional intercity bus operators no terminals or ticket offices and schedules posted online.

"As I learned when purchasing my tickets, low costs are the big draw (of the curbside operators). Curbside carriers typically offer incentives to buy tickets early," Hill said.

"For example, some curbside bus companies offer seats for $1 to the first purchasers. From there, the price increases as fewer seats become available. Buying a seat at the last minute, however, will still only cost about $35 for a one-way trip to New York City. In fact, I paid more for a taxi to take me 33 blocks in Manhattan than I did for the cost of the five-hour trip from Washington," Hill noted.

After his trip, Hill said both halves of the journey "were comfortable and affordable. Most importantly, however, they both operated in a safe manner, were familiar with our safety regime, and both drivers appeared quite capable.

"And, for those of you who are wondering, I did not reveal my identity during either trip," Hill asserted.

"As the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - the federal agency that regulates the safety of interstate trucks and buses - Ive always maintained that interstate passenger carriers have long been and continue to be among the safest mode of transportation in the United States, something that was demonstrated to me yet again last week. Our agency is committed to rigorous oversight of the bus industry."

Hill did not indicate whether he would become a regular intercity bus traveler.