Show Crisis in Transportation II 1 i i JOSEPH JOSEPH OSEPH J. J GILL in charge of war traffic work J work in the city under Mayor Jenkins forecasts a desperate transportation problem problem problem lem in the city this winter He anticipates a greatly increased load on the public transportation transportation trans trans- services but warns that buses are already taxed to their capacity and would be unable to handle such an increased load satisfactorily Certainly there is every re relieve reason ason to bei believe be be- i lieve that prediction Two factors particularly particularly par par- will cause it First is the fact that automobiles now in service are getting getting get get- ting older Some of them are wearing out Others are in such condition that their owners own own- I I i ers will fear t to o subject them to the increased strain of winter driving There will be fewer cars on the streets this Winter sinter with i some of them going to junk heaps and others into storage Second is the recent cut in gasoline rations The A card driver who occasion- occasion a to t in the past will do 1 less frequently less now now that he has less gaso gaso- line The same thing will be true of B Band and C card drivers who do not receive any increase increase in in- il crease in their ration allowance allowance- to offset th the cut in value o of coupons I The effect of the ration cut on transportation transportation transportation trans trans- will be particularly felt in the case of ride sharing ride sharing motorists If the initial al allowance allowance allowance al- al lowance was made fairly then the 25 p peri per percent r rl l i 4 S. S cent reduction in gasoline simply means they must make a 25 per cent reduction 4 in sharing ride-sharing trips to and from work unless unless unless un un- un- un less the ration board grants them more coupons For instance suppose a motorist drove 11 miles each day to and from work taking passengers each way and was allowed enough gasoline for miles miles- of driving a a month If his gasoline is cut to permit only miles a month it is simply impossible impossible impossible sible for him to drive himself and his passengers passengers passengers pas pas- to work each day He must leave leavet t his car home one week out of the month i while he he and his passengers crowd onto already overcrowded buses Multiply that thata a few thousand times and our bus transportation transportation tation system will break down I I It is a serious problem and it isn't a bit f 55 t too o early to start planning how we are going to avoid that threatened breakdown this winter |