Evening star., 1943-03-17
0DT Order Freezes
All Local PASSENGER
Transportation in i. 5
Vehicles Carrying Nine
Or More Restricted TO
Areas They Now Serve
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON

The Office of Defense Trans
pOrtatiOn today "frOZe" in pres
ent service every vehicle carry
ing nine or more persons in local
passenger transportation in the
United States. its territories and
possessions. The order also in
cluded inter city buses.
Virtually the entire tYanspOrta-
ton industry of the Nation now is
stabilized since passenger tram
schedules We're frozen last Sep,em-
Der. and the airllnes were converted
almost entirely 10 military service a
year ago A dearth of new equip
ment caused by restriction Of manu-
faCture Of vehicles is creating an
increasingly critical situation with
IN the industry, 1t was said
The new order applies 10 all
buSSeS, Streetcars. trolley coaches,
trucks converted for passenger use
ferryboatS and other vessels except
combat equipment of the armed
% 600 streetcars. A 900 city buses.
20 900 inter-citv buses. $500 track
less trOlleys. 5000 suburban rail cars,
10000 rapid transit elevated and
subway cars and $4,000 school buses.
Inter-city Shifts Banned.
While the order prohibits shifting
OF equipment from one city to an
other or from one company to an
other. 1t does not prevent a COMPANY
TO move equipment about within its
own system in city to take care of
huctuatlng demands. Equipment
supplying transportation to particu-
lar points, such as plants. camps
and schools, is frozen in that serv-
ICE
ODT officials said one reason for
the action is TO prevent migrat ton of
equipment from one area to another
which was not on basis Of need but
because an operator sees a chance
TO make more money.
In announcing the new order
( ODT reported developing black
market in school buses which was
Threatening to deprive children of
transportation between their homes
and school While there are about
$4,000 school buses in the country,
reports from Is States indicate
recent losses of from 200 to 500 buses
State School authorities petit
toned for freeze of the equip
ment and reported that mass
exodus Of school buses was in
prospect for the end of this school
year when about 10000 bus con-
tracts expire.
Examples Cited.
ODT reported some typical ex-
, ampleS of the new black market. -
contractor who was providing
school service at $1,000 2 wear was
! offered $1,000 month for the use
of his bus elsewhere.
| One bus owner. after taking chill
Gren to school in the morning, sold
the vehicle for large profit dur
ing lunch hour leaving the children
, without transportation back home.
ODT said brokers' particularly in
the Southeast and Southwest. were
IN many cases offering school bus
/ owners as much as twice the orig
( lnal cost for tWo-year- old vehicle
Officials pointed out that the
freeze does not prevent the sale of
equipment so long as it is continued
not only in the same service. but
IN the same job it was performing
at the time Of the order An Oper-
ator also is permitted to take on
additional service. such as using a
school bus to transport war work
ers as long as he Goes not discon-
tlnue the service in which the
equipment is frozen.
The order requires all Federal
agencies, including the Army and
Navy and war contractors furnish
ing transportation for their en-
ployes, to file with ODT an inven-
tory of their passenger carrying
equipment by May Is Local pas
senger equipment cannot be bought.
leased. requisitioned or used by
these agencies and contractors with
out ODT approval
CDT Director JOOSeph Eastman
said the order will provide a com
plete list Of all equipment in each
aEear, which will aiad ODT in
shifting vehicles to points OF great
est need and Will uncover idle
equipment.