(a) No person, association, limited liability company or corporation shall operate a motor bus over highways within this state between points outside this state or between points within this state and points outside this state and indiscriminately receive or discharge passengers without having obtained a permit from the Department of Transportation to be issued upon written application to said department specifying the route or routes within this state over which such motor bus may operate and the terminals within this state. Permits may be issued without hearing in the discretion of said department. Any permit issued pursuant to this section by the Division of Public Utility Control within the Department of Business Regulation prior to October 1, 1979, shall remain valid unless suspended or revoked by the Department of Transportation.
(b) The Department of Transportation may amend or, for sufficient cause shown, may suspend or revoke any such permit. The department may impose a civil penalty on any person or any officer of any association, limited liability company or corporation who violates any provision of any regulation adopted under section 13b-88 with respect to routes and terminals in this state, speed of operation, safety of passengers, equipment, public safety and convenience on the highways or conservation of the highways, in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars per day for each violation.
(c) A holder of such permit shall not operate a motor bus in the transportation of passengers for hire between points within this state without securing from (1) the Department of Transportation a certificate of public convenience and necessity in accordance with the provisions of sections 13b-80 to 13b-85, inclusive, or (2) the Federal Highway Administration a certificate pursuant to the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982, P.L. 97-261.
(d) Upon the granting of a permit, the holder of such permit may apply for the registration of any motor bus of which such holder is the owner or lessee and which is to be used as specified in such permit. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall have jurisdiction over the registration of any such motor bus, its exterior lighting equipment and the licensing of its operator.
(1949 Rev., S. 5712; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 242; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 610; P.A. 79-610, S. 15; P.A. 80-25, S. 3; P.A. 84-134, S. 2; P.A. 96-222, S. 11, 41; P.A. 97-304, S. 12, 31; P.A. 03-115, S. 61.)
History: 1969 act provided that commissioner of transportation be notified of any application received and for consideration to be given any of the commissioner's recommendations made within 30 days or if hearing held, within 30 days after hearing; P.A. 75-486 substituted “public utilities control authority” for “public utilities commission” and “authority” for “commission” where appearing, effective December 1, 1975; P.A. 77-614 replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation where appearing, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-610 substituted “department of transportation” for the foregoing designation and “department” for “division” and further deleted provision for notice to be given to the commissioner of transportation; P.A. 80-25 specified that permits issued by division remain valid unless suspended or revoked by transportation department; in 1981 Sec. 16-314 transferred to Sec. 13b-89; P.A. 84-134 amended Subsec. (c) to authorize permit holder to operate a motor bus if holder secures certificate from Interstate Commerce Commission; P.A. 96-222 amended Subsec. (c) to insert “or its successor agency” after “Interstate Commerce Commission”, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-304 amended Subsec. (a) to extend prohibition re operation of interstate motor buses without a permit to limited liability companies, Subsec. (b) to authorize department to impose civil penalty for violation of any provision of any regulation adopted under Sec. 13b-88, and Subsec. (c) to substitute “Federal Highway Administration” for “Interstate Commerce Commission or its successor agency”, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-115 amended Subsec. (d) to make technical changes.