Evening star., 1948-11-01
Fare Increase
Fails 10 Reduce
Sunday Riding
Operators Report
Some Complaints,
Slower Schedules

Capital Transit had more pennies
than customer blessings today
second day of its new 13-cent fare.
The increase, approved by the
Public Utilities Commission, went
into effect yesterday on a normally
dull Sunday, when bus and street.
car travel was at it's lowest ebb Of
the week.
1t brought tokens back into the
areas economic picture at three
Tor IS cents, raised single fares
from 10 to l3 cents and increased
weekly passes from $50 to SITS,
but 1t didn't cut committing to any
extent that cash boxes and trained
observers could detect.
The company, granted its second
fare increase in little more than
year, refurbished to a dull copper
color the 100000 tokens it re-
deemed last May, and had them
clacking into fare boxes more fire.
quently than pennies, officials said
today.
Everything went very smoothly"
a company spokesman said.
Company Satisfied.
Some riders couldn't agree.
Its unfair" was all one uniden-
tilted Internal Revenue employs
snapped. She said she walked from
seventeenth and @ streets NV. to
Eleventh street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV. because It figured
buses would take lot of time max.
ing change, selling tokens"
Company officials agreed that thu
new transactions caused some de-
lay. Nearly all lines ran a little
late during the morning rush hour
today one said. "On some of the
early runs the operators ran out
Of tokens and had to be supplied
on the route.
"On the whole. however. the pub
lie was extremely cooperative" he
added.
Paul Hainey, of s2o Massachu-
:setts avenue NV. a bus operator.
said, 1T took a little longer this
morning to come down town, what
with giving tokens, but I'm sure it
will work out so it won't take any
longer than before.
Driver Gets Complaint.
"On my first run this morning. I
had one complaint-from a passen-
ger who said we apparently are
making big salaries out of it,
The added time required, If any,
was not the basis of most COM
plants.
Those extra cents on every
ride would add up to a bottle of
milk very quickly" said Lawrence
A. Lietz, 744 Sixth street Sc,
typewriter repairman
"It's okay for those who can af-
ford it, but for those of us who
have to scrape to make ends meet,
TT is just something more to make
it tougher to get along. I don't
think it is Justified, and ] think the
company could, if it really tried,
manage to get along on the dime
fare"
Company's Position Cited.
CaplLal transit originally had
sought a 15-cent cash fare, two
tokens for Is cents and weekly
passes at $1.85. In granting the s.
cent raise, the PUG said it is well
aware of the vital necessity of main.
tanning public transportation fa-
cilities in the District in such condi.
ton that adequate service can be
rendered in any future emergency.
This cannot be done unless the
company is maintained in a sound
financial condition which in turn.
can be accomplished only by fixing
rates which will yield an adequate
return"
Mrs. Edna Inderrieden, 81 Mis-
sissippi avenue Sc, an employe of
the National Education Association,
called 1t Outrageous" and declared
the fare increases "unjustified.
"On the bus today heard several
people saying the same thing.
The service should be better and
the drivers more courteous" she
added.