B-151377, JUN. 13, 1963
Highlights
HE COULD HAVE LEFT WASHINGTON BY AIR AFTER 6:00 P.M. HE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO WASHINGTON IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THAT DAY. AGENCY REGULATIONS PROVIDE THAT WHEN TRAVEL IS AUTHORIZED BY PRIVATELY- OWNED VEHICLE THE ALLOWABLE COST OF SUCH TRAVEL IS LIMITED TO THE COST OF TRAVEL BY COMMON CARRIER. WHICHEVER IS MORE ECONOMICAL. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE PROPER METHOD OF COMPUTING THE ALLOWABLE EXPENSES IN VIEW OF THE AGENCY REGULATIONS. THE CONSTRUCTIVE SCHEDULE USED IN THE PAID VOUCHER WOULD NOT HAVE PERMITTED THE TRAVELER TO KEEP HIS 9:00 A.M. HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO LEAVE AT AN UNREASONABLY EARLY HOUR. FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES HE MAY BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE LEFT WASHINGTON IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF APRIL 4 AND RETURNED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF APRIL 5.
B-151377, JUN. 13, 1963
TO MR. D. J. WILLIAMS, SR., AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, THE RENEGOTIATION BOARD:
YOUR LETTER OF APRIL 24, 1963, REQUESTS OUR DECISION WHETHER A RECLAIM TRAVEL VOUCHER FOR $19.51 BY MR. HERBERT G. HART, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE EASTERN REGIONAL RENEGOTIATION BOARD, PROPERLY MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.
MR. HART'S TRAVEL ORDER AUTHORIZED TRAVEL BEGINNING APRIL 4, 1963, ENDING APRIL 5, 1963, TO STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, FOR THE CONDUCT OF OFFICIAL BUSINESS BETWEEN 9:00 A.M. AND 4:00 P.M. ON THE FIFTH, AND RETURN TO WASHINGTON, D.C., BY EITHER COMMON CARRIER OR PRIVATELY-OWNED VEHICLE WITH THE RESTRICTION THAT THE COST OF TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE NOT EXCEED THE COST OF TRAVEL BY COMMON CARRIER.
MR. HART DEPARTED WASHINGTON AT 1:00 P.M. ON APRIL 4 AND TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY-OWNED VEHICLE TO NEW YORK WHERE HE SPENT THE NIGHT. PROCEEDED TO STAMFORD BY RAIL ON THE MORNING OF THE FIFTH AND COMPLETED HIS DUTIES BY 3:45 P.M. OF THAT DAY.
HE COULD HAVE LEFT WASHINGTON BY AIR AFTER 6:00 P.M. ON THE FOURTH, SPENT THE NIGHT IN NEW YORK AND PROCEEDED AS HE DID TO STAMFORD THE FOLLOWING MORNING. ALSO, HE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO WASHINGTON IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THAT DAY, LEAVING STAMFORD AT 4:47 BY RAIL TO NEW YORK AND BY AIR FROM NEW YORK TO WASHINGTON ARRIVING AT THE LATTER CITY AT 8:32 P.M.
AGENCY REGULATIONS PROVIDE THAT WHEN TRAVEL IS AUTHORIZED BY PRIVATELY- OWNED VEHICLE THE ALLOWABLE COST OF SUCH TRAVEL IS LIMITED TO THE COST OF TRAVEL BY COMMON CARRIER, EITHER AIR OR RAIL, WHICHEVER IS MORE ECONOMICAL.
MR. HART HAS BEEN ALLOWED TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSE ON A CONSTRUCTIVE BASIS OF LEAVING WASHINGTON ON THE FIFTH OF APRIL, ARRIVING IN STAMFORD AT 11:01 A.M. AND RETURNING TO WASHINGTON ON THAT DAY AFTER THE COMPLETION OF 6 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES AT STAMFORD. HE HAS RECLAIMED ON A CONSTRUCTIVE BASIS OF TRAVEL BY RAIL LEAVING WASHINGTON IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF APRIL 4. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE PROPER METHOD OF COMPUTING THE ALLOWABLE EXPENSES IN VIEW OF THE AGENCY REGULATIONS.
THE CONSTRUCTIVE SCHEDULE USED IN THE PAID VOUCHER WOULD NOT HAVE PERMITTED THE TRAVELER TO KEEP HIS 9:00 A.M. APPOINTMENT IN STAMFORD, AND, HAD HE LEFT WASHINGTON ON THE FIFTH TO ARRIVE AT STAMFORD AT A TIMELY HOUR, HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO LEAVE AT AN UNREASONABLY EARLY HOUR.
THEREFORE, IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE REGULATIONS AND SINCE AIR TRANSPORTATION APPEARS MORE ECONOMICAL THAN RAIL, MR. HART MAY BE ALLOWED NOT TO EXCEED THE COST OF AIR TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN NEW YORK AND STAMFORD. FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES HE MAY BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE LEFT WASHINGTON IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF APRIL 4 AND RETURNED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF APRIL 5.
THE VOUCHERS TRANSMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER ARE RETURNED HEREWITH, AND IF THE RECLAIM VOUCHER IS MODIFIED TO ACCORD WITH THE FOREGOING IT MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.