This newspaper has maintained for some time that the whole approach to public transit should be revised in the light of modern experience in city planning. We have proposed that public transit should be no longer viewed as a business enterprise but should be regarded as an essential service the operation of which should be geared to the solution of traffic congestion, urban sprawl, downtown decay, convenience of movement, comfort of passengers and the promotion of maximum use of transit facilities.

By way of illustration we have mentioned a number of innovations that should be adopted, any one of which taken separately would have little effect, but which collectively would bring transit operations in line with the principles outlined above.

This is a serious policy matter which must be settled by Metro councillors. After some backing-and-filling Metro has, at last, given tentative indications that it intends to deal with this problem in a constructive way. At least, a committee has been set up to study the whole question. Time, and the vigour or lack of it, of Metro councillors will determine its usefulness.

In the light of such pending policy decisions, we now have the Public Service News, issued by the Transit department of Metro, ruminating on transit's role in society. This may be good, except that Transit Tom doesn't seem to know that this aspect of transit is now under review by elected representatives. Being on the wrong bus, Transit Tom asks plaintively: "Who Will Pay the Piper?" and then goes on to suggest that experiments in other cities with lower fares and improved service have not resulted in enough new riders to offset losses in revenue.

Transit Tom proves he knows he's on the wrong bus by then revealing that in the U.S. the American Municipal Association has endorsed a five year $1.75 billion program of federal aid for public transit. What is this program designed to do? It is to apply to transit the principles this newspaper has been suggesting for some time.

Transit Tom should get off his losing money bus and wait for the Metro policy makers to tell him the right bus to take to his destination, which ought to be community service for community ends.