Evening star., 1948-04-27
bus|ine 10 Ask
Fare Raise on
Virginia Routes
A., B. & w. Reveals
Plan at Hearing on
Interstate Increase

'N'a W ssSoisttS OSs
Interstate Increase
The Alexandria, Bancroft g. WASH
ington Bus Co. plans to ask the
Virginia State Corporation Com
mission for permission to increase
fares at least 21a cents on its intra-
state routes in Virginia.
This was disclosed yesterday by
r. T. Mitchell, vice president and as
sistant general manager. in testi-
mony before Henry Lawton of the
Interstate Commerce Commission
who is hearing the company's plea
to increase fares on some interstate
routes.
Mr.. Mitchell said the bus company
would file the necessary request for
intrastate fare increases with the
sec as soon as the current hear
ings before the ICC are completed.
He said the company was proposing
higher fares on both interstate and
intrastate routes to distribute equi-
tably higher costs among different
passenger categories.
Proposals Outlined.
The intraState fare change pro-
posal, he said, would provide for
abolition of the present nickel fare
zone and substitution of the use of
tokens to be sold two for is cents,
or tx cents each. The straight
cash fare, he said, would become 10
cents on all present scent rides.
All present l0-cent intrastate zones
would become 15-cent cash-fare
zones in which passengers could
ride for 1213 cents by using one
712-cent token and nickel.
II the increases in interstate and
intrastate transit fares both are
granted as requested by the COM
pany, Mr.. Mitchell said, the COM
pany then planned to ask the ICC
to discontinue the sale of two tokens
for Is cents and substitute the sale
OF two tokens for Is cents.
The sale of two tokens for Is
cents is part of the company's re-
quests on which hearings began
yesterday. The company in the ICC
petition proposes to raise the pres
ent l0-cent rate for rides between
the District and nearby Virginia
points to the equivalent of 1914
cents by selling two tokens for Is
cents. In addition, the company
proposes to discontinue the sale Of
eight tokens for a dollar which are
now used in 15-cent cash fare inter-
state zones. The only routes not
affected by the petition are those
serving the Government installa-
tions in nearby Virginia.
Petition Amended.
Mr.. Mitchell told Hearing Officer
Lawton that the bus line had
amended its original petition to in
clude request for an increase from
20 cents to Is cents in the fare on
its Annandale Washington route.
The 20-cent zone. he said, would end
at Mount Pleasant, Va.
Mr.. Mitchell estimated the COM
pany would realize an additional
annual revenue of $474,000 If both
the ICC and sec grant the re-
quested increases. He said the COM
pany would benefit another $4,000
If an older request to abandon the
use of tickets on routes to Govern
ment installations is granted.
AS the hearing recessed yesterday
until this morning, Mr.. LaWton an
nounced that a request of the A. B.
& w. to put the proposed new rates
into effect Immediately pending
outcome of the hearing had been
denied.
Increases Opposed.
Lester Conley of the Arlington
Public Utilities Commission, who
said he was opposing the proposed
increases on behalf of the Arlington
County Board, the South Oakcrest
Civic Association, the Arlington
Ridge Civic Association and the
Harrington Association, was to be-
gin cross-examination of Mr.. Nit
chell when the hearing resumed to-
day. Others who were present at
the hearing yesterday in opposition
to the increases were Thomas Kill
roy, George Dahan, Alfred E. Reed
and George F. Galland, all of Alex
andria.
The first company witness, B. C..
May, general manager of A. B. g. w.,
testified yesterday afternoon that
one of the increased expenses ex-
perienced recently by the company
was a boost from nearly $1,000 to
SIS, 900 in rent paid for the work.
shops and parking area on jefferson
Davis highway, which is owned by
r. L. May, president and controlling
stockholder of the company. The
general manager said this property
was appraised at s467,O and as
serted that the $4,000 rental repre-
sented less than 6 per cent re-
turn on the personal investment of
the company's president.