Bill Text: NJ S2149 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Concerns regular route peak bus services and imposes fee on private carriers that fail to meet certain performance standards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2149 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S2149-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JENNIFER BECK
District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Concerns regular route peak bus services and imposes fee on private carriers that fail to meet certain performance standards.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain agreements between the New Jersey Transit Corporation and private carriers operating regular route peak bus services, and supplementing P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Corporation" means the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
"Private carrier" means any individual or company operating regular route peak bus services, but does not include the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
"Regular route peak bus services" means the operation of any motor bus or motor buses on streets, public highways, or other facilities over a fixed route and between fixed termini on a regular schedule for the purpose of carrying passengers for hire or otherwise, in this State or between points in this State and points in other states, between 6:00 A.M. and 9:30 A.M. and between 4:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. Services which are exclusionary or personal in nature or are to special purposes areas, such as to casinos or special event sites, are not included within this definition. In order to be included within this definition, regular route peak bus services shall between an origin and destination, both of which are within the boundaries of the State of New Jersey. Services that, due to geographic locations or routing, operate in a state other than New Jersey in providing services to passengers that have origins and destinations in New Jersey, are included in this definition provided that the primary reason for operating outside New Jersey is to transport New Jersey citizens to and from their New Jersey origins and destinations, and transport others to and back from New Jersey where such transportation services aid in the growth and development of the economy of the State of New Jersey. Services operating between New Jersey and major adjacent commercial centers located outside of the State, such as New York City and Philadelphia, are specifically included in this definition.
2. Notwithstanding any provision of federal or State law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any private carrier operating regular route peak bus services with motorbuses received from the corporation under any lease or subsidy agreement, or any other agreement, as authorized pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-5), or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, permitting the use of such motorbuses in the provision of regular route peak bus services, that fails to meet performance standards established pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be subject to a fee in the amount of $2,500 for each bus allocated to the private carrier by the corporation under a lease or subsidy agreement, or any other agreement, that shall take effect after the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. The corporation shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act and consistent with federal law, rules, and regulations. Such rules shall establish performance standards that a private carrier operating regular route peak bus services with motorbuses received from the corporation shall meet under any lease or subsidy agreement, or any other agreement, as authorized pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-5), or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder. Such performance standards shall include, but not be limited to, health and safety standards, customer service requirements, and minimum reliability of service standards.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill imposes a fee on any private carrier operating regular route peak bus service with motorbuses under lease or subsidy from the New Jersey Transit Corporation that fails to meet certain performance standards. Currently, under NJ Transit's Bus Allocation Program, private companies are eligible to receive buses from NJ Transit and must use such buses in the provision of regular route peak bus services. In order to ensure that private carriers that receive buses under the program continue to provide safe, adequate, and reliable transportation services to the people of this State, it is appropriate to impose a fee on any of those carriers that does not meet certain performance standards as established by NJ Transit. Under this bill, a private carrier that fails to meet such performance standards will be assessed a fee of $2,500 for each bus allocated to the carrier from NJ Transit under any lease or subsidy agreement, or other agreement. This fee will only be imposed on those buses private carriers receive from the corporation under agreements becoming effective after the date of enactment of this bill.
