The Washington times., 1915-03-26
,SYME SAYS J|TNEYS
HAVE CAPTURED CITY
-
Corporation Counsel Writes of
Their Success and Popu-
larity in New Orleans.

That the jitnev bus has come to New
Orleans to stay and that Washington
.offers as favorable an opportunity for
Ats operation as the Southern city, IL
tthe opinion expressed by Corporation
1Counsel Conrad II. Syme. in a letter
freceived today by Major Charles w.
tKutz, chairman of the Public Utilities
.Commission.
Mr.. Syme, while on his way to the
Pacific coast is studying the iitncy bus
system in various cities, and while in
rNew Orleans made careful observation
.of the methods of operation and the
regulations.
Writing "unofficially" to Major Kutz.
.Mr. Syme says:
II have twice had very full and sat
.isfactory conferences with Commission
,er Fl, w. Newman, of this city, and
.have observed the operation of the jit-
.neys on the principal streets and in all
tsections of the city.
THE jitney was welcomed here he
:cause of the refusal of the local traction
company to meet popular demands as
ITO service, and because of its very ap-
.parent purpose to obstruct regulation
.and look upon public interference as un-
warranted. Popular resentment against
.the traction company has manifested It.
.self somewhat in its Endorsement of the
.jitney.
{. Last night there was a very i'm
tportant meeting between representa- =
ttives of the local Public Utilities
Commission and about 125 iitney bus
operators belonging to the Jitney Bus
Association. At this meeting there
appeared to he no serious objection
tto regulations.
Want Defined Routes.
"rhe desire is strong here to have
.the jitneys confined to certain routes.
Il think this viii be difficult. nd that
$50 far as jitneys run by individual
sowners or operators are concerned.
.they should and will only be confined
ito the routes indicated on the public
-ly displayed card. The regular jitney
!bus lines. with regular cars carrying
.abont twenty persons, will proba bly,
tdesire defined routes.
1t seems very essential that each
.car should display on the interior
.the name and number of the owner
tor operator so as readily to identify
.the same in case of accident
There are about 400 individually own.
:ed Jltneys. comprising cars of all types
There Is also jitneymobile line OF siS
or eight cars. capacity twenty, coins
:oNer regular route about two and g
shalt miles long.
The individual jitneys' are licensed
.at $50 per year. They are not publicI,
regulated as to routes. They go where
+theN please. Their routes are, however
usually indicated by card on the wind
:sthielc, showing in large letters the
points between which they operate
They are not permitted to stop excep
.at or near the right hand curb. eithe
Ito take on or let off passengers
:. "A very strict police regulation ha,
there is no danger from behind wher
they stop The authorities here ar
fdoubtful as to their authority to compe
1.-The jitneys to hold to certai routes a
much as they desire it.
There have been good many acci
.dents. and in many cases it was inn
possible to identify the driver or owne
of the car causing the trouble Fo
this reason the authorities here are ad
:vocatng :vee:g system of Identification b,
registration of name of owner an,
operator and number and description
:of car They also desire each licens
card to have a., photo of the drive
present prohibits this being done.
Congestion Is Main Trouble.
The main trouble here is the conges
ttion caused by the jitneys at certai
points. For about fve squares in tn
.very center of the business district tn
congestion on Canal street at the in
.tersection of crossing streets has bee
severe.
The question of preventa BILE acci
dent is also presenting itself. Tn
authorities tn ink the drivers of jitney
should be strictly and rigidly examine
as to their physical and technical quail
:ncations to operate a car.
AT present no bond is required her
of the jitneys to indemnify either pas
.sengers or pedestrians against acciden
and there is no rule limiting number {
passengers or prescribing routes c
service.
The authorities and people here ar
very favorable to the jitneys. They ar
literally patronized. and are givin
good service No one seems to kno
whether they can exist on the seer
fare, but they all say they can, an
seem to be doing it. can see it woul
be very unpopular thing here for an!
ione to interfere with the jitney service
There is not nearly as much dange
-of. or opportunity for. congestion
Washington as there is here. al
fairly well convinced that the questiO
Eof routes can be fairly well handled b
'having each car display a sign showin
Z the streets over which it will run,
the points between which it will OF
:erate, and l can see no great harm
Letting the individual jitney operator
.change from one to another street {
route provided they change the sig
cards
'I think they should also be require
ito give indemnity bonds sufficient
protect the public. but not large enoug
ito prohibit the service The feelin
here is strongly that the iitney can an
.should be reasonably regulated an
that the service should be encourage,
I think it is worth considering might
carefully. The feeling here is that II
.iitneys have come to stay. and belieN
Washington is favorable for SUI
tcessful operation as New Orleans"
Corporation Council Syme will inuuir
.alsO in the iitney bus situation in Kal
-sas City apd other Western cities. ar
ION his return will submit to the Con
.missioners a report of his observation
together with recommendations col
"cerning methods of regulation.