Evening star., 1954-10-28
|HopeHe|d0ut.
For rbuseson !.
|B.&A. Route

Heed of Bison Lines
Tries to Muke Deui
Serving Montgomery
Hope was held out today that
commuters patronizir1g the
Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad
Co. buslines, operating between
Washington and points In Mont
gomery County, will continue to
enjoy bus service after Sunday.
Ray Walters. president Of
Bison Lines, Inc, which operated
the lines before the Baltimore
g. Annapolis Railroad Co. took
over last November 7, expressed
the hope that service will con-
tinue. He said he has q couple
Of definite purchasers for his
franchise.
But Mr.. Walters pointed out it
is a question whether the Inter-
state Commerce Commission can
approve a temporary permit in
time to authorize continuation
of service on Monday.
IT definitely have some people
who want to operate it tthe bus
line)," he declared. IF 7 can
get ICC approval to do it. the
deal could be completed in the
next day or so. / hope there
will be no interruption of serv-
ice and that the. necessary tenn
porary authority will be secured.
Still Wants to Sell.
IT still want to sell the
franchise and have been work.
ing to that end. I think there
is a very good chance that some
body else will buy it and try to
operate the service. starting on
Monday"
Mr.. Walters declined to reveal
the names of the parties dicker-
ing to purchase his franchise.
Meanwhile, the West Mont.
gomery County Citizens Asso-
citation plans a meeting at .8:15
pm. Monday in the Potomac
School to consider the problem
of suspended bus service and
what can be done about it.
Mr.. Walters said the Balti-
more & Annapolis Railroad Co.
has been operating on tempo
rary authority, but the ICC did
not see fit to approve the trans
fer of the franchise from Bison
to the Baltimore group. 81
The ICC held there was no
evidence presented that would
show how the railroad would be
enabled to use the bus. service to
public advantage in it's rail OPP
erAtiosis. M The !. Baltimore &
Annapolis Railroad Co. operates
q rail line to Annapolis from
Baltimore, but the Montgomery
County bus line operation II
conducts does not join up with
the rail system. 49,,
Given 80 Days. IS
On October 4, the ICC rem
dered its decision, giving the
Baltimore g. Annapolis Rail-
road Co. 80 days in which to get
out of the Montgomery County
operation. The ICC said that.
while it is clear there is a need
for continuance of the public
transportation services, under
the law it can make no excep-
ton. It suggested that ANY
hardships that may result from
applying the law as written are
properly for consideration by
the Congress. rather than by
us"
The Baltimore & Annapolis
Railroad Co. has elected to cease
operations at midnight Sunday.
instead of waiting until around
the first Of the year. There are
reports that it has been losing
money on the operation.
Yet civic leaders in the Po-
tonac area said they were ad-
vised that. while the company
has been losing money on its
Potomac line operation. it has
found it's Massachusetts, avenue
extended line profitable.
A. E. Martin, manager Of the
Congressional Country Club, re-
vealed that organization has
been subsidizing the line at the
rate of $500 monthly, both for
the benefit Of employees and
members. Some buses operate on
the club grounds as part of the
regular route.
Mrs. Marjory Hendricks, own
er and manager of Normandy
Farms, said she has been sub
sidizing the line as a community
service at the rate of $35 weekly.
She said that while some of her
employees ride the buses, they
nav fill1 fare IT,