Evening journal., 1922-10-05
TELL RAILWAYS
TO RUN BUSES
Should Be Operated as Ad'
junct TO Trolleys, Com
mittee Reports
TRANSPORTATION BY
ONE AGENCY FAVORED

CHICAGO, Oct. 6.-An official 70
port on the operation of buses IN
passenger traffic was received by the
American Electric Railway Associa-
ton convention today.
The bus inquiry was placed in the
hands of committee composed IN
part of bus owners a year ago and
the report follows an exhaustive
study.
The outstanding declaration Of
the committee was that the bus has
a place in light traffic. but that II
should be operated by electric rail-
way managements as an adjunct 10
their regular service and not by
others as competitive agency. Run
by electric railways, buses viii, sup
ply regular, responsible service, the
report declared.
Mass transportation, the report
continued. cannot be handled by
buses as cheaply as it can by cleo
trio cars. but in cases OF light traffic
the bus sometimes is more economl-
cal.
There IS" the report declared, "a
field in transportation in which the
railless vehicle can furnish service
satisfactory alike IN operation and
economy. That IS where traffic Is
so light that the higher cost per
passenger of operating the bus is
offset by the relatively high fxed
charges per passenger with such
light traffio which result from the
elsctrio railways investment In
track.
The possibility OF utilizing the
motor bus or traclSless trolley should !
therefore be kept In mind by electric
operators. either where they |
are confronted by the necessity of ]
transportation service
INTO sections where traffic win be |
light, or in the economically similar |
situation OF being required to re-
build track on a line where the
rattle is too light TO warrant the
rack investment. In the latter case
he economic procedure might be 90
lbandon the track and install bus
ervice."
The committee emphatically stat
d that the fiy-by-night "jitnsy'' and
'ther irregular forms of gas engine
had not been consid
red in fits study
I'VE believe firmly" the report
aid. that all OF the transportation
OF any community
hould be furnished by one agency
nd that that agency should be the ,
lectric railway company. II alone !
as the trained organization and ripe :
experience required for handling ,
iassenger transportation problems ,
nd the development of any other =,
gency for handling these problems
Yould result merely in a duplication .
{ service which could produce only ,
!. higher cost OF transportation for !
he public.
I'VE find that railless transporta- !
lon has come to be recognized by I
he electric railway Industry as an :
Id TO transportation II properly !
Dstered. and is recognized by regu-
itory authorities as a menace unless
roperly supervised and controlled (
nd required 10 pay its Just share of
lxes and public charges.
I'VE find also that the automotive
ldustry has progressed in the past
wv years 10 the point where It is
ow producing vehicles of a design c
Iitable for passenger transporta- "
on service. a
ut is recognized that the electric "
lr running on rails is the most s
'sential. reliable and economical L
ethod OF urban, suburban and in
rurban travel considering the n
problem as a whole h
nd especially for mass transporta- Z,
on. This condition arises largely
ON the fact that the operating U
'st per passenger is higher for bus h
,eration than with electric cars"