STSC Transportation Services was just launched in April of this year but it is already making major news. The company, launched by attorney Jeremy Walker and two investors, is actually the first Black-owned and operated transportation? company in Philadelphia.
Walker says he knew he was making a history first. ??I was not surprised [we are the first Black-owned transportation company] and I knew that I was doing something that was out of the ordinary and hasn’t been done before.
STSC offers eight daily nonstop roundtrips between Philadelphia and New York City. ?Offering affordable service between locations in Philadelphia and Manhattan Chinatown, STSC has created more than 40 new jobs in Philadelphia.
?We felt it was a great time to offer a cheaper way to travel,? says Walker on what they launched a bus company. They received funding for investors for the startup costs, but faced some other issues to overcome. ??The major obstacle has been getting people to know who we are and to ride with us. ?We are overcoming that obstacle with mass advertising, radio attention and street teams handing out flyers,? explains Walker, who still runs his law firm, The Walker Firm, LLC.
One major help was support from City Councilman Mark Squilla, who helped? STSC Transportation get up and running in Philadelphia. Now the company plans to expand to other regional markets.
Walker says its STSC?s services that make the company stand out. It offers flat-rate? ticket pricing, an open ticketing system, frequent specials, and bilingual ticketing staff. “We are getting a lot of positive feedback because of our flat $10 fee and the ability to purchase tickets days in advance of their travel,” says Walker.
According to Walker, the company is looking ahead to even bigger successes. “We want to be one of the top recognizable transportation companies in this area,” he says. “To be one of top five bus companies.”
