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B-147963, FEBRUARY 1, 1962, 41 COMP. GEN. 506

B-147963 Feb 01, 1962
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- IS NOT FOR APPLICATION TO THE BUS SERVICE WHICH UNLIKE THE TAXICAB SERVICE OPERATES ON REGULAR SCHEDULES OVER ESTABLISHED ROUTES. HE WAS ALLOWED $6.60 FOR TAXI FARE BUT NOTHING FOR THE BUS FARE. YOU SAY YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THE $2.50 EXPENSE WAS NECESSARILY INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAVEL AND THAT IT SEEMS INCONSISTENT NOT TO ALLOW THE RECLAIM SINCE THE EMPLOYEE WAS IN A TRAVEL STATUS FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES WHILE EN ROUTE FROM THE BUS TERMINAL TO THE AIRPORT. WILL BE ALLOWED IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6 (PLUS TIP) * * * THE FRIENDSHIP AIRPORT IS LOCATED SOME 25 MILES FROM WASHINGTON. FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF PASSENGERS REGULARLY SCHEDULED BUS SERVICE IS MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND A WASHINGTON TERMINAL LOCATED AT 1508 L STREET.

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B-147963, FEBRUARY 1, 1962, 41 COMP. GEN. 506

TRAVEL EXPENSES - FARES - TAXICABS - BETWEEN RESIDENCE AND TERMINAL - LIMITATION THE MAXIMUM TAXICAB FARE LIMITATION IN SECTION 3.1B OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS OF $6 (PLUS TIP) PAID BY AN EMPLOYEE FOR THE USE OF A TAXICAB FROM HIS HOME IN MCLEAN, VIRGINIA, TO A WASHINGTON, D.C., AIRPORT BUS TERMINAL WHERE HE BOARDED A BUS FOR FRIENDSHIP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT--- 25 MILES FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.--- IS NOT FOR APPLICATION TO THE BUS SERVICE WHICH UNLIKE THE TAXICAB SERVICE OPERATES ON REGULAR SCHEDULES OVER ESTABLISHED ROUTES, AND, THEREFORE, EVEN THOUGH THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN REIMBURSED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED FOR TAXICAB SERVICE, HE MAY ALSO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE BUS FARE FROM THE TERMINAL TO THE AIRPORT INCIDENT TO TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS.

TO E. G. LOVE, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, FEBRUARY 1, 1962:

ON JANUARY 15, 1962, YOUR FILE CAO, YOU REQUESTED OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT THE RECLAIM OF JAMES A. GARVEY FOR $2.50, ADMINISTRATIVELY DISALLOWED FROM HIS REIMBURSEMENT VOUCHER FOR TRAVEL PERFORMED AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.

TRAVEL ORDER DATED NOVEMBER 24, 1961, AUTHORIZED MR. GARVEY TO TRAVEL BY COMMON CARRIER FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND RETURN, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING A CONFERENCE.

MR. GARVEY LEFT HIS HOME IN MCLEAN, VIRGINIA, ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1961, AND TRAVELED BY TAXICAB TO THE AIRLINE BUS TERMINAL IN WASHINGTON. FROM THERE HE WENT BY BUS TO FRIENDSHIP WHERE HE BOARDED A PLANE FOR NEW ORLEANS. ON HIS TRAVEL VOUCHER HE CLAIMED $6.60 AS TAXICAB FARE FROM HIS HOME TO THE BUS TERMINAL AND $2.50 AS BUS FARE FROM THERE TO THE AIRPORT. HE WAS ALLOWED $6.60 FOR TAXI FARE BUT NOTHING FOR THE BUS FARE.

YOU SAY YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THE $2.50 EXPENSE WAS NECESSARILY INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAVEL AND THAT IT SEEMS INCONSISTENT NOT TO ALLOW THE RECLAIM SINCE THE EMPLOYEE WAS IN A TRAVEL STATUS FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES WHILE EN ROUTE FROM THE BUS TERMINAL TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, YOU QUESTION THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFICATION WITHOUT OUR OPINION WHETHER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE BUS FARE WOULD BE CONTRARY TO SECTION 3.1B OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS.

THE CITED SECTION OF THE REGULATIONS READS, IN PERTINENT PART, AS FOLLOWS:

REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE USUAL TAXICAB FARES FROM COMMON CARRIER OR OTHER TERMINAL TO EITHER PLACE OF ABODE OR PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR FROM EITHER PLACE OF ABODE OR PLACE OF BUSINESS TO COMMON CARRIER OR OTHER TERMINAL, WILL BE ALLOWED IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6 (PLUS TIP) * * *

THE FRIENDSHIP AIRPORT IS LOCATED SOME 25 MILES FROM WASHINGTON. FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF PASSENGERS REGULARLY SCHEDULED BUS SERVICE IS MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND A WASHINGTON TERMINAL LOCATED AT 1508 L STREET, NW. THAT SERVICE IS DISTINGUISHED FROM TAXICAB SERVICE IN THAT TAXICABS DO NOT OPERATE ON SCHEDULES OR OVER ESTABLISHED ROUTES. IT FOLLOWS THAT THE $6 LIMITATION IN SECTION 3.1B ON TAXICAB FARES IS NOT FOR APPLICATION TO THE TRANSPORTATION COST HERE INVOLVED.

THEREFORE, AND SINCE $2.50 IS REPORTED TO BE THE ESTABLISHED RATE BETWEEN THE TERMINAL AND THE AIRPORT, THE CLAIM MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IF OTHERWISE CORRECT.

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