The district may operate charter bus service, subject to all of the following limitations:
(a) No bus equipment that is designed solely for charter service shall be purchased. A bus equipped with a toilet or underfloor baggage compartment shall be deemed to be bus equipment that is designed solely for charter service.
(b) Except as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e), the board shall hold a public hearing prior to adopting a charter rate schedule or any amendment thereto. Notice of the hearing shall be mailed to each charter-party carrier operating within the district at least 30 days prior to the date of the hearing. The notice shall include the proposed charter rate schedule. At the close of the public hearing, the board may adopt charter rate schedules, which shall not be less than the average for the three largest private charter-party carriers operating similar service in the district.
(c) Charter service operations by the district shall originate and terminate within the area served by the district, unless a private charter-party carrier requests the district to provide service beyond that area.
(d) The district may establish a schedule of rates for charter bus services that are incidental to the holding of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The rates for charter-party bus services established under this subdivision shall be sufficient to pay all fully allocated costs related to those charter bus services and shall contribute financially to the reduction of deficits incurred by the district in the operation of scheduled route services. The rates shall be at least equal to the average of the lowest rates charged by the three largest private charter-party carriers operating similar service in Los Angeles County. The schedule of rates shall be effective from May 1, 1984, to September 30, 1984, inclusive.
(e) The district may provide charter service for a national political convention to be held in Los Angeles in August 2000, to the extent that private charter-party carriers are not capable of providing that service. As used in this subdivision, the phrase “not capable of providing that service” includes, but is not limited to, the inability to meet requirements including, but not limited to, requirements with regard to unique equipment, fuel type, number of doors, accommodations for standing passengers, handicap accessibility, or the nature of the service.
(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 145, Sec. 1. Effective July 21, 2000.)