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B-197049 1 (1980-04-01)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadjbj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 

- - a


DECISION


/330)


THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL
OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, 0. C. 20548


FILE:   B-19704               -     DATE: April 01, 1980

MATTER OF: James W. Austin, Jr. LPOV Travel for Personal
               Convenience


DIGEST:


Reimbursement of temporary duty travel by POV was
properly limited to constructive travel cost by
commercial air, including per diem, since there was
no abuse of discretion in determining that POV travel
was for convenience of the employee. Employee did
not obtain medical certificate prescribed by para.
C2001-4 of the JTR to warrant a determination that
employee's aversion to flying made POV travel advan-
tageous to the Government. Excess POV travel time
required charge to annual leave and did not justify
overtime pay.


     Mr. James W. Austin, Jr., a civilian employee of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, requests reconsideration of his claim for addi-
tional travel reimbursement based upon his use of a privately owned
vehicle (POV), overtime compensation for hours spent traveling, and
recredit of annual leave charged because of excessive travel time.
Our Claims Division disallowed the claim by settlement certificate
Z-2815308, November 9, 1979.

     The primary issue is whether, without a medical certificate
proving that flying was inimical to his health, he is entitled to
additional allowances because POV travel was advantageous to the
Government.

     Mr. Austin's employing agency determined that five temporary
duty trips he took during fiscal year 1978 should be by POV travel
for the convenience of the employee rather than the advantage of the
Government, cost and other factors considered. Consequently, reim-
bursement for POV was limited to the constructive cost of commercial
air travel and per diem .as prescribed by paragraph C2152 of the
Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

     Travel officials have broad discretion to determine that
commercial air travel is the most advantageous to the Government
and that POV travel is for the convenience of the employee. 56 Comp.
Gen. 865 (1977). There is no evidence that such determination in
Mr. Austin's case was an abuse of discretion and that reimbursement
should be other than for the constructive cost of commercial air
travel, including per diem.


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