Evening star., 1954-11-08
transportation
Study Seeks Cui
lnFeder'a|Cost
$40 Million Saving
Sought by Pooling
U. S.-Run Vehicles
By William A. killen


A $40 million annual saving
to the taxpayers, through elimi.
nation Of duplication, is the goa
Of a Federal Government stud!
about to be launched into Gov.
ernment transportation systems
here and throughout the Nation
In the Washington area alone
there are nearly 1000 vehicles
that carry Government worker;
on official business. Some of thu
so major agencies of the Gov
ernment operate their own bu
service, not only here. bu
throughout the country. Tht
Washington area study is slatee
to start this week.
It is estimated about ! millior
passengers here ride free or
Government vehicles annually
President Eisenhower is ex'
pected to set in motion a specia
organization to consider the
whole problem about December
l. The group also will look inte
the feasibility of having COM
mercial operators furnish trans.
portion, in whole or in part, tt
replace existing Government
lines.
Opportunity For Appeal.
A presidentially appointed re-
view board in the Budget Blu.
reau will give the agencies con.
cerned an opportunity to appea
from the findings.
The Defense Department say;
it now has about 1,100 pas.
senger-carrying administrative
vehicles operating in the Wash.
ington area. These include am
balances, but exclude Wreckers
trucks. scooters, jeeps, motor
cycles and other specialized We.
hicles. They include $50 auto
mobiles. 200 buses, some 27s
station wagons and carryalls anC
SIS ambulances.
Some of the Defense Depart.
ment'S vehicles run on regular
schedules. These vary from
every Is minutes, such as to the
i Capitol, to four runs daily to Fort
Belvoir, Va. These include We.
hicles of the Army, Navy and All
Force. The David Taylor Mode
Basin at Carderock, Md, the
Naval Research Laboratory al
Bellevue, the Main Navy Build.
ing, the Navy Annex, the Pen
tagon, Boiling Air Base and
Andrews Air Base are key points
on the whole system.
Those who ride must present q
pass from their personnel officer
an official identification card OF
special slips emitting them to the
strip, Ia Pentagon spokesman ex-
planned.
\ Convenience and the ex-
pedition Of Government busi-
ness is the reason the transpor-
tation was established, he ex-
planned.
Ordered BY Wilson.
Secretary of Defense Wilson
last summer declared that the
armed forces would have to find
commercial companies to con-
duct their bus operations, unless
they can show they can do il
cheaper.
One result is that the A. B. &
w. Transit Co. Of Alexandria
Va, as subcontractor for the
Gray Line Sightseeing Co.
which got the main contract
from the Defense Department
is now operating eight buses
These travel between the Navy
Annex, the Pentagon, Main Navy
the Naval Communications Cen
ter, Massachusetts, and Nebrasks
avenues NV, and the Naval Re.
search Laboratory. They conduct
the interstate operations, while
the Gray Line runs largely with.
in the city, under this contract
with four buses.
Edmund F. Mansure, the ad.
nlinistrator of General Services
is Spearheading the move. HI
wants to be sure in setting III
any pool economy will be devel'
oped and transportation will con.
tinue. He is interested in elm.
mating, where possible, duplicat'
ing personnel, maintenance, serv
ice, facilities and equipment.
To Formulate Program.
John B. Hanson, director, Mo
tor Vehicle Division of GSA, vii
work with the heads of the prin
cipal Government agencies, in al
effort to formulate the program
Qualified technicians will max
studies in Washington, Chicago
San Francisco and elsewhere, h
said.
"Our studies will extend even
tually to 100 areas" said Mi
Hanson. when completed, thi
work is likely to result in estab
fishing 100 pools or systems an,
the savings to the Government o
as much as $40 million annually
II anticipate a Is per cent re
duction in the number of yehicl
needs, both here and through
out the country. We have ha,
a pilot operation In Denver anC
',as a result of our studies, ther
was a 80 per cent reduction an
We saved 100000 annual
there.
"GSA motor equipment spe
cialists will make studies wit
the help Of the agency con
cerned. 1t does not necessaril
mean that GSA will operate til
pool that is most efficient Q
economical. But all existing sys
TENS viii be consolidated int
q pool where practicable.
In the GSA in Washington
we lean toward the use Of tax
IN zones | and 2. For by thi
method, GSA saved over $50. 100
IN the past year, through til
elimination Of chauffeur-driye
cars" Mr.. Hanson assnrtnd