The Washington times., 1922-04-26
Acute Problem in Bus
Line Transportation
In WashinqtOn
BY BILL PRICE.

The solution of the question is of vital concern to
the travelling public and to the street railway com
panes.
The two street railway companies have utterly
failed to realize until quite recently their lack of
wisdom in merging for better service in Washington
and for strengthening themselves against the rapid
progress of bus transportation The railway COM
panes now suddenly see trouble looming for them
and virtually ask the Public Utilities Commission
for a monopoly of bus lines in the District.
A year or more ago the street railway companies
were given every opportunity to supplement their
service by bus lines, but they refused to make the
experiment. They perfectly willing that newly
formed bus companies should take all the risks
This in spite of the admitted fact that the congestion
of the car lines ought to be relieved by
additional trackage.
The Washington Terminal Company undertook
the bus line experiment. For time it suffered
losses Gradually it has developed paying lines,
of them less directly competitive with
lines. 1t has in operation twenty four fine
busses and has ordered twelve Its successes
have caused flood of applications to be put before
the Utilities Commission for license to operate bus
lines in territories.
Quite naturally the street car companies want to
choke off this menace to their business. They
willing to go into the bus business themselves That
has been the attitude of street companies in
other cities when their business began to be threat
eneQ. In some clues tney QlQ ODtan mOnOpOueS IN
bus transportation. They ran busses until they had
killed all opposition and THEN WITHDREW THE
BUSSES, leaving the public just where it
There several important phases of the situa-
ton that should be borne in mind. The two street
railway companies pay heavy taxes amounting to
something like $250,OOO each yearly their
ings This goes into the District treasury. In ad-
dtion they compelled to keep up the public
streets between the tracks and for two feet
each side of the tracks. Bus concerns are under no
such expenses.
The car companies have millions Of dollars in
vested and are compelled to furnish service
profitable lines, even if they would like to abandon
the service altogether Bus lines, while under
troll of the Commission far schedules
cerned, may prove losing ventures and can abandon
operation without word Of warning leaving the
public in the lurch
There is sharp distinction between the responsible
tiles of the street companies and bus lnes which
pay nothing beyond license tax to operate IN the
streets.
On the other hand the street companies
guaranteed return upon their actual values, while
the bus concerns are guaranteed such returns on
actual investments made. They must take their
chances of making losing money at the same fares
charged by the car lines.
The Public Utilities Commission however, must
constantly bear in mind that the STREETS OF
WASHINGTON BELONG TO THE PUBLIC, and
that the public should not be deprived of opporuni
ties from any direction for improved service 1t is
not right that the car lines should be required to
keep streets in and around their tracks In repair
These portions of the streets used by automobiles
and all other forms of traffic. The companies
have no monopoly of streets in and around their
trackage The law requiring this upkeep should
have been repealed long ago. and the repeal has been
repeatedly recommended to Congress-.
This new transportation problem is, after all,
case of supply and demand. The travelling public
must not be robbed of the right to get complete
service no matter where it comes from or who fur
nishes it. If willing to put their money into
bus line ventures to serve the public and there is
rghtful demand for that service in any particular
region of the District then the public is entitled to
get the best it can for the money it pays If the
ventures are unsuccessful that is fault of the
public.
Patrons of transportation will go where they
get the most satisfactory service. If the COM
panes supply the best service they will survive. If