Court Opinion

ID: 9588956
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:39:56.448413+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:15:45.143750
License: Public Domain

Hill, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent.
The trial court granted the Public Service Commission’s motion for summary judgment. Declaring that it is unnecessary to recite the evidence offered by Greyhound, this court affirms.
The court concludes that the trial court correctly decided that the commission has not acted unreasonably, *81arbitrarily or capriciously in this case. This conclusion is reached without consideration of the. evidence offered by Greyhound.
The "evidence” in support of the commission’s conclusion consists of the sworn arguments of threepublic officials appearing on behalf of their constituents, and two letters from passengers saying the Athens bus is undependable. The former is not evidence and the latter is not relevant to the issue of the need for two buses (one dependable bus could be required by the commission). This "evidence” is deemed sufficient by this court to sustain the action of the commission as being reasonable, notwithstanding the evidence introduced by Greyhound as to the on-time performance record of the Athens bus, notwithstanding the evidence introduced by Greyhound that-, one bus will carry all the passengers desiring bus transportation between Lawrenceville and Atlanta at the times in question, with seats to spare, and notwithstanding the evidence that operating two buses where one is ample is uneconomic and a waste of fuel.
The intransigent policy of the commission, which, this court today approves on the basis of two letters, may cause public carriers to surrender their certificates of public convenience and necessity altogether, rather than litigate with the- commission for permission to operate economic schedules. The public will suffer more from.no. service than it will from the inconvenience of having only one bus to ride. Will transportation of passengers by bus-follow the railroads? If' so, it will not be with the unanimous approval of this court because I dissent.
I am authorized to state that Chief Justice Nichols and Justice Jordan join in this dissent.