Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-06

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It Cars
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Accepting a decision of the Public Utility Commissioners,
onnonnced August 4, Public Service Railway Company will put
;nfo effect September IA next, on all of its lines, a zone system
of charging for rides according to the distance travelled, to 4
the place of the present flat rate of seven cents with a penny
for a transfer.
The new fare rates will be:
THREE cents for a ride within a zone mile in which the
passenger boards a car; TWO cents for a ride in each additions
al zone mile or part thereof traversed on the same car.
These rates will apply on all lines, excepting for passen-
gers riding up, or down, the Edgewater Hill or the Eagle Rock.
Hill, which passengers will pay a minimum of five cents.
School tickets will be honored, but transfers will not be-,
issued under the new plan, because Of the low initial rate OF
The introduction of the zone fare plan will make neces.
sary certain changes in the handling Of traffic.
Passengers will board cars by front platform only.
Passengers will leave cars by rear platform only.
pay-as-you-leave will take the place Of pay-as-you.
Every passenger boarding a car will receive a zone ticket
from the motorman on Which will appear the number of the
zone the car happens to be in. This zone ticket when SUR
rendered to the conductor on leaving the car fixes the length of
ride to be paid for.
u To simplify the computation and collection of fares me-
chanical devices will be provided for the benefit of both pass
sengers and conductors and every effort will be made to intro<
duce the new system with as little confusion as possible.
The first zone plan submitted by Public Service called for
an initial fare of five cents for the first zone mile with one cent
for each additional zone mile and a penny for a transfer. It
was based on the necessity of raising a given sum of money to
rnnpt ynnpc which WnrA divided hntWnnn "MOV6@
ment' and standby costs. Since that plan was submitted,
the National War Labor Board, on July 2 last, added $1,175,~
900 a year to the company's payroll charges and also since the
report was submitted, the power costs have gone up $3O5,0O
a year, due to higher coal bills, higher freights and higher,
wages. Y
Platform labor and power are ohargeable directly To
Movement costs, hence the calculation under the lower ex-
pense charges which showed it was possible to carry passen-
gers for one cent a mile had to be materially revised when the
added costs were piled on.
There was also a very insktent demand for a lower initial
fare for the short distance rider and because of the testimony
brought out at this point and the added wage and power burr
dens placed on the company the original zone plan was changed
from a "Five-and One to "Three- and Two" that is. 8 cents
for any part of the initial zone mile ride and 2 cents for each
additional zone mile or part thereof, with no transfer
It's the companys hope and expectation that it will have
the corporation Of the public in inaugurating the new plan.
The planwil enable the company to buld I'm and ,rnrors
Its service, as it has not been able to do for two years past.
1t will enable one fifth of all the a riders T. rid Co., .
cent fares; one-half of all the riders to ride for scent q <
cent fares, and two-thirds of the riders to ride for a-oont
cent o I-cent fares. The remaining one third will a. nor
~ 'ney 40 now but they are the passengers who travel the
! Remember the date-septemberi IL, 1919.