Evening star., 1945-07-18

ice Recognizes
New Problem on
PentdgonFdre
Admits Ruling
Places Burden on
Capital Transit Co.

The Interstate Commerce Com
mission said today it appears that
its newly invoked ruling on Penta-
gon bus fares has had the wrong
effect. The Capital Transit Co.,
which fought the ruling in the
courts, answered with an II told you
So"
ICC spokesmen said they realized
The Capital Transit Co. is bearing
the brunt of this situation" No ar
rangements have been made at the
commission to alter the new plan,
which creates, in effect, several diff
ferent fares to the Pentagon and
other Government buildings in
Virginia. Such arrangements may
be made, however, 'if Capital
Transit takes it up with the COM
mission, which it probably will"
1T definitely should be equal
ized," the spokesman said.
Passenger Load Boosted.
Capital Transit officials. who said
their Pentagon lines still showed a
10 per cent increase in passenger
load since the new ruling, COM
mented, "We told them (the ICC)
months ago that this is what would
happen. They didn't seem to realize
they were creating different rates
OF fare from the same destination
to the same point"
THE damage is done now," the
transit company officials said. I'VE
don't know what should be done
next. It's like convicting a man
after he's hanged to say now that
it's shame we're bearing the
brunt."
The ruling, ordered by the ICC In
January, 1914, and upheld by the
Supreme Court May %, provides
that riders may transfer. or use
their Capital Transit weekly passes,
to buses going to the Pentagon.
They also may buy book of tickets
for $3.50, which will allow them to
ride part way on Capital Transit
cars, and part way on one of three
Virginia lines. Or, they may buy
tokens on the Virginia lines, three
for a quarter.
60-Cent Saving Possible.
The net result OF all this, however
is that the person who lives in the
District. and works at the Pentagon,
saves up to so cents a week, if he
uses his Capital Transit weekly pass,
and takes a Capital Transit bus
from the District to the Pentagon
If he uses Virginia line he pays
an additional 81 a week.
The net increase in passengers on
the two Capital Transit bus lines
has been about 1,400 a day. The
company, however, cannot add any
more cars to its Pentagon run, hav-
ing entered into such an agreement
with the War Department at the
time the new ruling was passed.
I'VE cannot take cars from our
already overloaded District lines to
give them to Pentagon passengers
when Pentagon passengers have
ample bus service now, counting the
Virginia companies which service the
same line, transit company officials
said. But, under the new ruling
our rate is cheaper with the use OF
the pass and, therefore, hundreds
of people will crowd onto our buses
while the other lines lose business. y
Three Companies Give Service.
The three Virginia companies
which give service from the District
to the Pentagon are the Alexandria
Bancroft g. Washington Trans
portation Co., the Arlington g. Fair
fax Motor Transportation Co. and
the Washington, Virginia g. Mary
land Coach Co. (Arnold Lines.
Reports made so far by the vir-
ginia companies indicate that the
l,400 passengers crowding Capital
Transit Co. buses are those lost
from the Virginia lines. Transit
officials said, however, it still was
too early to note the final affect
of the new fare arrangement.