FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 11, 2001
Contact: Dave Longo
Telephone:
202-366-0456
FMCSA
1-01
FMCSA Issues Rules to
Improve Safety Of For-Hire Small Buses and Vans
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced two rulemakings to improve the safe operation of small buses and vans that are designed or used commercially to transport between 9 and 15 occupants in interstate commerce.
These rulemaking actions are intended to afford one level of safety for all passengers transported by for-hire motor carriers.
One of these
actions, a final rule that becomes effective on Feb. 12, 2001, will enable the
Department to collect data needed to assess the operational safety of all
for-hire interstate motor carriers of passengers operating small buses and vans.
FMCSA issued this rule in response to a provision in the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
The
other is a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require certain operators of
small buses and vans that transport passengers to destinations beyond a radius
of 75 miles to comply with the regulations concerning driver qualifications,
hours of service, vehicle equipment necessary for safe operation, and
inspection, repair and maintenance of vehicles.
This rulemaking action is mandated under the Motor Carrier Safety
Improvement Act of 1999.
In
the final rule, the FMCSA is requiring all for-hire interstate operators of
small buses and vans to complete a motor carrier identification report (Form
MCS-150) so that the agency can determine the number of these companies
currently operating, the number of drivers employed, and vehicles operated.
These companies will also be required to mark their vehicles with USDOT
identification numbers assigned by the FMCSA and to maintain records concerning
crashes involving their vehicles. This
rule will enable the department to monitor the safety performance of interstate
motor carriers of passengers that operate small buses and vans.
The
notice of proposed rulemaking would require for-hire operators of small buses
and vans to comply with most of the rules currently applicable to motor coach
operators. Drivers of these vehicles would be required to meet the same
physical qualifications and hours-of-service rules as motor coach drivers.
These vehicles would be required to meet the same safety requirements as
motor coaches.
FMCSA’s analysis of accident data for 1996-1998 indicates that approximately 63 percent of 146 fatal accidents in which a van was actually transporting 9 or more occupants at the time of the crash involved drivers that may have traveled beyond a radius of 75 miles from their work-reporting location.
Although
the agency does not have data to determine which vans were being used in
interstate commerce, the agency believes the data are compelling and suggest the
need for action to improve the safety of operation of these vehicles.
The proposed rulemaking would apply to long-haul, for-hire interstate
motor carriers of passengers operating in the United States, including Canadian
and Mexican-based carriers.
The notice of proposed
rulemaking and final rule are available to the public in the DOT Docket (Docket
Numbers FMCSA-2000-7017, FMCSA-1999-5710, respectively.)
Written comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking should be sent by
April 11, 2001 to the USDOT Docket Facility, Attn: Docket No. FMCSA-2000-7017,
Room PL‑401, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590‑0001.
The rule also is posted on the Internet and can be viewed after searching
at http://dms.dot.gov/.
Comments also may be submitted electronically at this site.
# # #