Evening star., 1943-01-26
Bus, Taxi Lines
Map Possible
Cuts in Mileage
ODT Orders Plans
To Meet Any New
Tire, Fuel Shortages

CARRIERS Dy ~, ~ ana 81 per cent
were being worked out today by the
Capital Transit Co. and other bus
lines serving this area as we'll as by
operators of more than 10 taXicabS
in compliance with an Office of De-
fenSe Transportation order-but the
plans may never be put into effect
here.
The ODT yesterday asked all bus
and cab operators in the East with
more than 10 vehicles to submit the
three proposals for reduced service
by February g. They are to be kept
in reserve, it was pointed out, ready
for instant use if the rubber and gas
oline shortages demand their appli-
lcation
While the Capitals hard-preSsed
carriers were trying to figure out
new ways of trimming service at
some hazy date in the future, the
ODT today also issued an order
which permits new buses released
by it ITO travel 1000 instead of 1000
miles Q month. Chief effect of this
relaxation will be felt by persons
who work in the Pentagon Build
ing, the Arlington Navy Building
and the Air Forces Building at
Gravelly Point-all served by the
A, B. g. w. Transit Co.. and by
several other lines.
Additional Equipment.
The A, B. & w. company, which
now operates 134 buses between the
District and points in Virginia, has
25 ODT-released buses in operation
and more which will soon be put
into service. These buses have up
to now been restricted to two trips
during each rush hour.
The additional allowance of 1000
miles a month will permit the COM
pany to make three trips with these
buses but will not permit any ex-
tension of Sunday or off peak day.
time service
Although the Capital Transit Co.
pany official said he did not think
the new order would cause any
change in service. since these buses
are already relieving rush-hour
pressure as much as they can.
If the mileage saving plans asked
for by the .ODT should ever be put
into effect here, shoppers, evening
and Sunday riders would be the
first to be affected, E. D. Merrill,
president of the Capital Transit
Co. indicated today.
I'VE could manage a 10 per cent
cut without great inconvenience to
the public" Mr. Merrill said, but
when you get into 20 and 30 per
cent reductions. that represents i'm
portant mileage"
The transit official said he be-
lieved some further savings could
be effected by eliminating more
"deadhead" trips. Much of this
dead" mileage has already been
cut out by parking buses in down.
town lots during the day, and Mr..
Merrill said his company is now
seeking additional parking space to
extend the plan
Off-Peak Hour Saving.
If further savings in mileage were
needed, he said, they would mean
longer waits during the daytime,
elimination of some service on
lightly travelled lines or portions
of lines, more feeder" service into
streetcar lines, thus eliminating di-
rect bus service into town.
While Mr.. Merrill admitted that
such arrangements might tax the
capacity of streetcars, he said that
the cut in bus service would relieve
some drivers who could be used to
operate additional streetcars during
rush hours. Streetcar mileage has
already been increased since the
pleasure driving ban went into
effect, although bus mileage. by
order of the ODT, could not be in
creased to accommodate pleasure
riders
r. T. Mitchell, vice president and
traffic manager of the A., B. a. w.
| said 10 per cent cut could be man.
aged by his firm by reducing Off
peak service. Any greater cut, he
said, would affect rush-hour traffic,
and he predicted that if such cuts
ever became necessary bus travel
would have to be rationed among
essential workers.
Taxicabs here will face a different
problem, inasmuch as large pro-
portion of the Districts cabs are
privately owned by persons operating
not more than 10 cabs. Jack H.
Royer, president of the Combined
Cab Service, Inc, representing about
l,700 cabs, said something would
have to be done to prevent the pos
sibility that some cabs in the city
were restricted in mileage while
others were free to travel as much
as they wanted to- He said that any
curtailment of taxi service here
would seriously hamper mass trans
portation."