Southern Kansas Greyhound Lines, Inc. v. United States

134 F. Supp. 502, 1955 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3871, 1955 WL 76365
District Court, W.D. Missouri·Decided October 3, 1955·No. 9695·Published·Cited by 17 cases

Opinion

WHITTAKER, District Judge.

This is an action brought under Section 305(g) and (h), Title 49, U.S.C.A., and Sections 1336, 1398, 2284, 2321-2325, Title 28, U.S.C. and Section 1009, Title 5, U.S.C.A., to enjoin and to vacate an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission of November 23, 1954, granting a certificate of convenience and necessity to Kansas Trails, Inc., to extend its motor bus service from Osawa-tomie, Kansas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, over U. S. Highway 169, serving all intermediate points, and an order of the Commission of March 21, 1955, denying protestants’ (plaintiffs’) petition for reconsideration.

The background facts, so far as essential to understanding of the questions presented, are that Kansas Trails, Inc., hereafter called “Trails”, held Commission certificates authorizing it to conduct motor bus operations over U. S. Highway 169 from (1) Kansas City, Missouri to Osawatomie, Kansas (a distance of 55 miles), (2) from Iola to Chanute, Kansas (a distance of 18 miles), (3) from the north intersection with U. S. Highway 160, about 3 miles south of Moorhead, to the south intersection with U. S. Highway 160, 3 miles south of Cherryvale, Kansas (a distance of 9 miles), and (5) from Coffeyville, Kansas to Oolagah, Oklahoma, a distance of 45 miles (its present line running from Oolagah southeasterly over Oklahoma State Highway 58, a distance of 14 miles, to, and terminating at, Clare-more, Oklahoma — thus not running into or out of Tulsa). This left “gaps” in Trails’ bus service on U. S. Highway 169 extending between (1) Osawatomie and Iola, Kansas (a distance of 51 miles), (2) Chanute and the north intersection with U. S. Highway 160, 3 miles south of Moorhead, Kansas (a distance of 28 miles), (3) the point of the south intersection with U. S. Highway 160, 3 miles south of Cherryvale, and Coffeyville, Kansas (a distance of 13 miles), and (4) Oolagah and Tulsa, Oklahoma (a distance of approximately 32 miles).

For the purpose of closing these “gaps” in its bus service from Osawa-tomie, Kansas, southerly over U. S. Highway 169, and to enter and serve Tulsa, Oklahoma, as its southern terminal, so that it might operate direct, single-line, through, bus service between Kansas City, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trails filed its application with the Commission, under Section 207 of the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S. C.A. § 307, asking a certificate of public convenience and necessity to operate as a common carrier by motor vehicle, of passengers, baggage and express, between Osawatomie, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, over U. S. Highway 169, serving all intermediate points.

Southern Kansas Greyhound Lines, Inc., hereafter called “Southern”, holding and using, among others, Commission certificates authorizing bus service *504 from Kansas City, Missouri, over U. S. Highways 40 and 24, to Lawrence, Kansas, and thence south, over U. S. Highway 59, to its junction with U. S. Highway 169 at Garnett, Kansas, and thence south, over U. S. Highways 59 and 169, to Chanute, thence south over U. S. Highway 169 to Coffeyville, Kansas, and thence west, over U. S. Highway 166 to its intersection with U. S. Highway 75, and thence south, thereover, to Tulsa; and, Missouri, Kansas & Oklahoma Coach Lines, hereafter called “MK&O”, holding and using, among others, Commission certificates authorizing bus service from Coffeyville, Kansas, over U. S. Highway 169, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, each protested Trails’ application, contending, among other things, that the proposed new service would duplicate Southern’s service from Garnett, Kansas, over U. S. Highway 169, to Coffey-ville, Kansas, and would duplicate MK&O’s service from Coffeyville, Kansas, over U. S. Highway 169, to Tulsa, which service was adequate, and that, to succeed, Trails’ proposed new service would have to divert a substantial amount of their traffic between these duplicative points, and, particularly, between the termini of Tulsa and Kansas City, and that their operations between these points were, and for some years had been, unprofitable, and that any such diversion of traffic would unduly prejudice them and threaten impairment of their existing, adequate but unprofitable, service between these points, and that, therefore, the proposed new service was unneeded, and would not serve public convenience and necessity; and that Trails was not “fit” or “able” to perform the proposed new service.

Extensive hearings were held upon the application before a joint board, constituted pursuant to Section 805(a), Title 49, U.S.C;A., in October and December, 1953, producing a record of 1,073 pages and numerous exhibits. After consideration, on June 7, 1954, the joint board served its recommended report and order, finding a “definite need” for “direct, single-line service” over Highway 169, between Kansas City, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving all intermediate points, and that “the present and future public convenience and necessity require operation by applicant as a common carrier * * * of passengers and their baggage, and of express in the same vehicle with passengers, between Osawa-tomie, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, over U. S. Highway 169 * * * serving all intermediate points” and “that, applicant is fit, willing and able properly to perform such service * *

Plaintiffs, and others, filed exceptions-with the Commission to the joint board’s recommended report and order, and; Trails filed a reply thereto.

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Southern Kansas Greyhound Lines, Inc. v. United States, 134 F. Supp. 502, 1955 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3871, 1955 WL 76365 (W.D. Mo. 1955).

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