Section 5378.5 Of Article 2. Authorization To Operate As A Charter-party Carrier Of Passengers From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 2.
5378.5
. (a) Upon receipt of a written recommendation from the
Department of the California Highway Patrol that the certificate or
permit of a charter-party carrier be suspended either (1) for failure
to maintain any vehicle used in transportation for compensation in a
safe operating condition or to comply with the Vehicle Code or with
regulations contained in Title 13 of the California Code of
Regulations relative to motor carrier safety if that failure is
either a consistent failure or presents an imminent danger to public
safety, or (2) for failure to enroll all drivers in the pull notice
system as required by Section 1808.1 of the Vehicle Code, the
commission shall, pending a hearing in the matter pursuant to
subdivision (d), suspend the carrier's certificate or permit. The
written recommendation shall specifically indicate compliance with
subdivision (c).
(b) A carrier whose certificate or permit is suspended pursuant to
subdivision (a) may obtain a reinspection of its terminal and
vehicles by the department, by submitting a written request for
reinstatement to the commission and paying a reinstatement fee of one
thousand dollars ($1,000). The commission shall deposit all
reinstatement fees collected pursuant to this subdivision in the
Public Utilities Commission Transportation Reimbursement Account. The
commission shall then forward a request for reinspection to the
department which shall then perform a reinspection within a
reasonable time. The commission shall reinstate a carrier's
certificate or permit suspended under subdivision (a) promptly upon
receipt of a written recommendation from the department that the
carrier's safety compliance has improved to the satisfaction of the
department, unless the certificate or permit is suspended for another
reason, or has been revoked.
(c) Before transmitting a recommendation pursuant to subdivision
(a) to the commission, the Department of the California Highway
Patrol shall notify the charter-party carrier in writing of all of
the following:
(1) That the department has determined that the carrier's safety
record is unsatisfactory, furnishing a copy of any documentation or
summary of any other evidence supporting the determination.
(2) That the determination may result in suspension or revocation
of the carrier's certificate or permit by the commission.
(3) That the carrier may request a review of the determination by
the department within five days of its receipt of the notice required
under this subdivision. If a review pursuant to this paragraph is
requested by the carrier, the department shall conduct and evaluate
that review prior to transmitting any notification to the commission
pursuant to subdivision (a).
(d) Whenever the commission suspends the certificate or permit of
any charter-party carrier pursuant to subdivision (a), the commission
shall furnish the carrier written notice of the suspension and shall
hold a hearing within a reasonable time, not to exceed 21 days,
after a written request therefor is filed with the commission, with a
copy thereof furnished to the Department of the California Highway
Patrol. At the hearing, the carrier shall show cause why the
suspension should not be continued. At the conclusion of the hearing,
the commission may, in addition to any other penalty provided in
this chapter, terminate the suspension, continue the suspension in
effect, or revoke the certificate or permit. The commission may
revoke the certificate or permit of any carrier suspended pursuant to
subdivision (a) at any time 90 days or more after its suspension if
the commission has not received a written recommendation for
reinstatement from the department and the carrier has not filed a
written request for a hearing with the commission.
(e) If the commission, after a hearing, finds that a charter-party
carrier has continued to operate as such a carrier after its
certificate or permit has been suspended pursuant to subdivision (a),
the commission shall do one of the following:
(1) Revoke the operating certificate or permit of the carrier.
(2) Impose upon the holder of the certificate or permit a civil
penalty of not less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500)
nor more than seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) for each
day of unlawful operations.