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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 46400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23220]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board
[STB No. MC-F-20908]

Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.--Pooling--Greyhound Lines, Inc.

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed pooling application.

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SUMMARY: Applicants, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc., of Springfield, MA, and 
Greyhound Lines, Inc., of Dallas, TX, jointly seek approval under 49 
U.S.C. 14302 of an operations and revenue pooling agreement to govern 
their motor passenger and express transportation service between New 
York, NY, and Washington, DC.

DATES: Comments are due by October 2, 1997, and, if comments are filed, 
applicants' rebuttal is due by October 22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10 copies of comments referring to STB 
No. MC-F-20908 to: Surface Transportation Board, Office of the 
Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 
20423-0001. Also, send one copy of comments to applicants' 
representatives: Jeremy Kahn, Suite 810, 1730 Rhode Island Avenue, 
N.W., Washington, DC 20036; and Fritz R. Kahn, Suite 750 West, 1100 New 
York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20005-3934.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beryl Gordon, (202) 565-1600. (TDD for 
the hearing impaired: (202) 565-1695.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applicants are competitors on certain 
intercity routes between Albany, NY, and Boston, MA, between Boston and 
New York City, and between New York City and Washington. They seek to 
pool portions of their passenger and express services over routes which 
they both operate, and to share the revenues derived from their 
operations over these routes, between New York City and Washington, 
generally via the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate Highway 
95.1 Applicants state that their services between these 
points overlap and that excess schedules are operated because of the 
need to protect their prospective market shares. According to 
applicants, this has resulted in unacceptably low load factors, an 
over-served market, and inefficient operations.
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    \1\ Applicants have already received authority to pool their 
operations and revenues for their motor passenger and express 
transportation service between Philadelphia, PA, and New York City 
in Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.--Pooling--Greyhound Lines, Inc., No. 
MC-F-20904 (STB served June 30, 1997). According to applicants, this 
application is a logical extension of the New York-Philadelphia 
pooling, within the same general territory, and a third revenue 
pooling application to cover the remaining routes operated by the 
applicants between New York and Boston is expected to be filed 
shortly. Applicants state that they consider the agreements to be 
interrelated and intend to implement them simultaneously after 
approval by the Board.
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    Applicants submit that the pooling agreement will allow them to 
reduce excess bus capacity, cement their business relationship, and 
allow them to share in the financial vicissitudes of the pooled-route 
operations. They claim public benefits that will include: (1) 
Rationalization of schedules, eliminating some duplicative departures 
``on the hour'' while adding some departures on the half-hour during 
the busiest times of the day, resulting in more frequent bus service 
over a broader time period; (2) more coordinated use of terminals and 
ticketing agents, resulting in greater flexibility for passengers to 
use buses, tickets, and terminals; (3) capital improvements; and (4) 
continued bus service by more sound and financially stable carriers. In 
addition, they assert that approval of the pooling agreement will not 
significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the 
conservation of energy resources. In fact, they claim that the 
reduction in the number of schedules each carrier operates will result 
in a salutary effect on the environment.
    Applicants state that competition will not be unreasonably 
restrained. They argue that: (1) The pooled service is subject to 
substantial intermodal competitive pressure from Amtrak, airlines, and 
private automobiles; and (2) other motor passenger carriers may easily 
enter and compete in the market.
    Copies of the application may be obtained free of charge by 
contacting# applicants' representatives. A copy of this notice will be 
served on the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, 10th Street & 
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530.

    Decided: August 25, 1997.

    By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice Chairman Owen.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-23220 Filed 8-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
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