Palisadian., 1925-08-21
fort LEE WORKERS CLUB" IDEA DOES
NOT KEEP FT. LEE TRANSPORTATION
CO.'S BUSES FROM BEING BUSES
AT Least hat Is the Opinion of the Public Utility Com
mlssoners Who Say These Carriers Must Not Operate
on Same Street With the Public Service TroIIeys.

The latest development in the Fort
Lee bus controversy is the decision of
the Public Utility Commissioners rem
dered last Saturday restraining the
busses of the Fort Lee Transportation
Company from running on a street
where trolleys are operated. This af-
fects only part of their route. e..
between Jones road and Anderson
avenue on Main street. The matter
was brought before the Board by the
Public Service Corporation. The de-
cision follows:
THE Public Utility Commission
hereby orders and directs the Fort
Lee Transportation Company to cease
operating auto busses, commonly
called jitney busses, on Main street.
Fort Lee, from Jones road to Ander-
son avenue, where said route paral-
iels on the same street the line of a
street railway company. Effective Au-
gust 20, 1926"
The busses have been operating for
some time as carriers for members of
the Fort Lee Workers Club only. The
club members had to present an iden-
t1hcat1on card and present a ticket
(not money! for their fare.
The opinion of the Public Utility
Board was that this was an obvious
evasion of the law. They say:
There is no sound or substantial
basis for the contention made that be-
cause club members only are allowed
to ride that it does not 'indiscrimi-
nately accept and discharge passen-
gers. The testimony shows that the
club has no existence except for trans
portation purposes, and the members
have nothing else IN common with
each other. 1t has no rules and no
meeting place. 1t is open to every
person who wants to be transported
between Fort Lee and Edgewater.
The conclusion is inevitable that
the club was originated by or at least
was encouraged by the transportation
company or some of it's members for
purpose of transporting passengers
between the points mentioned.
The business performed by the
company is essentially that of public
transportation, and the manner of OBJ
talnlng customers and the roundabout
method of collecting fares does not
change its character. 1t is apparently
an attempt to evade the laws govern
ing the transportation of passengers
by bus"
In the absence of an application by
the company for the approval of mu-
nlc1pal permits the board said it could
not consider the question of public
convenience and necessity.
The case just settled is one of sew
eral started since the busses started
running in June. One other case is
the proceedings brought by the Public
Service Corporation to review the pro-
ceedlngs under which the temporary
permit was issued by the Fort Lee
Mayor and Council to the Fort Lee
transportation Company, the conten-
ton of the Public Service being that if
was not in conformity with the local
bus ordinance.
Another case grew out of the arrest
OF two of the Transportation Com
pany's drivers by the police in Edge
water charging that they were oper-
ating busses without permits, as re-
quired by a local ordinance. The
drivers were fined $25 each, and an
appeal was taken to the decision. At
the same time an order was obtained
from the Court of Chancery restrain
ing the Edgewater police from inter-
fering with the running of the busses
until the case had been reviewed by
the court.