The Jitney vs Harrahs Shuttle Story Continues

From the NBC News 40 Website:

JITNEY DRIVER CALL FOUL

Phaedra Laird - 10/18/06 06:17 pm

Last Updated - 10/18/06 07:26 pm

ATLANTIC CITY- Jitney drivers in Atlantic City say they%26#39;re already feeling the pinch from competition of a free shuttle service. Harrah%26#39;s casino just started offering free shuttle service this week, and jitney drivers fear they will soon be phased out.

';We got one person here, I%26#39;m gonna try and scoot over to get %26#39;em.'; John Lafranchi can%26#39;t afford to miss a single person looking to catch a ride on a his jitney, now that Harrah%26#39;s free shuttle service is snatching up potential passengers. ';I%26#39;m not saying all those customers were ours,'; said Lafranchi, Vice President of the Jitney Association, ';but even if half of them were ours, it%26#39;s gonna cause a financial problem.';

While the jitneys are part of the public transportation system, they are each privately owned, and drivers fear the free shuttle could soon put them out of business. ';That%26#39;s what we%26#39;re losing,'; said Lafranchi, pointing to the long line outside of Harrah%26#39;s.

Harrah%26#39;s%26#39; free shuttle runs between it%26#39;s four properties in city, and has only been operating for three days. Jitney drivers say they%26#39;re already feeling the effects. ';We picked up nobody at Caesars, one at Ballys, and two here at Claridge,'; said Lafranchi, ';used to be our biggest area.';

A spokesperson for Harrah%26#39;s says their shuttle has been extremely successful, and as you can see by the long line behind me, people don%26#39;t seem to mind waiting for a free ride. But, when the casino was asked about taking business away from the jitneys, they had no comment. ';It seems like they want to run the city and it%26#39;s just not fair,'; said Lafranchi.

The jitney association has met with city officials several times about their concerns. Today, Mayor Levy had no comment about the situation, saying Harrah%26#39;s has the right to provide the service to their patrons. ';We feel we%26#39;re in a battle all by ourselves,'; said Lafranchi.

The jitney association has been operating in the city for more than 90 years, and considered striking today to show just how valuable their services are, but changed their minds at the last minute because they didn%26#39;t want their customers to suffer.

Jitney drivers say while they decided not to strike today, it%26#39;s not completely out of the question. They say they%26#39;ll wait a few weeks to see if they need to resort to such a drastic measure to show just how much they%26#39;re needed in the city.

The Jitney vs Harrahs Shuttle Story Continues

Depending on the lines, I%26#39;d consider paying the $2 for an immediate pickup.

The Jitney vs Harrahs Shuttle Story Continues

I think I%26#39;d consider paying, too, if the line was too long.

Let me start by saying I%26#39;ve never ridden on a AC Jitney, but as someone who has driven a lot in and around AC, aren%26#39;t a lot of these guys cowboys? It sure seems like it the way the dodge and weave through traffic and stop on a dime.

As long as you hold on, you%26#39;re fine (seriously - you%26#39;ll go flying out of your seat if you don%26#39;t hold on). That being said, I still ride them.

It sems to depend what jitney driver you get. Out of five rides I had with them last trip to AC only one was pleasant. I thought I would be thrown out the open door on the way to the Borgata the way one of the drivers careened around corners. He was constantly on the phone to another driver complaining loudly. Another driver told me to get off at the wrong stop for something I asked about and I had to ask a passerby how to get there. Another one stopped in front of a pile of garbage so I had to step over it to get to the sidewalk. They%26#39;re handy but that%26#39;s all.