Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 166 / Monday, August 28, 2006 / Notices 50971 

31315, each of the 19 applicants has 

satisfied the entry conditions for 

obtaining an exemption from the vision 

requirements (64 FR 40404; 64 FR 

66962; 67 FR 17102; 69 FR 51346; 64 FR 

68195; 65 FR 20251; 67 FR 38311; 65 FR 

20245; 67 FR 46016; 67 FR 57267; 67 FR 

10471; 67 FR 19798; 67 FR 15662; 67 FR 

37907). Each of these 19 applicants has 

requested timely renewal of the 

exemption and has submitted evidence 

showing that the vision in the better eye 

continues to meet the standard specified 

at 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) and that the 

vision impairment is stable. In addition, 

a review of each record of safety while 

driving with the respective vision 

deficiencies over the past two years 

indicates each applicant continues to 

meet the vision exemption standards. 

These factors provide an adequate basis 

for predicting each driver’s ability to 

continue to drive safely in interstate 

commerce. Therefore, FMCSA 

concludes that extending the exemption 

for each renewal applicant for a period 

of two years is likely to achieve a level 

of safety equal to that existing without 

the exemption. 

Request for Comments 

FMCSA will review comments 

received at any time concerning a 

particular driver’s safety record and 

determine if the continuation of the 

exemption is consistent with the 

requirements at 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 

31315. However, FMCSA requests that 

interested parties with specific data 

concerning the safety records of these 

drivers submit comments by September 

27, 2006. 

FMCSA believes that the 

requirements for a renewal of an 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 

31315 can be satisfied by initially 

granting the renewal and then 

requesting and evaluating, if needed, 

subsequently comments submitted by 

interested parties. As indicated above, 

the Agency previously published 

Notices of final disposition announcing 

its decision to exempt these 19 

individuals from the vision requirement 

in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10). The final 

decision to grant the exemption to each 

of these individuals was based on the 

merits of each case and only after 

careful consideration of the comments 

received in response to the Notices 

announcing the applications. The 

Notices of applications stated in detail 

the qualifications, experience, and 

medical condition of each applicant for 

an exemption from the vision 

requirements. That information is 

available by consulting the above cited 

Federal Register publications. 

Interested parties or organizations 

possessing information that would 

otherwise show that any, or all of these 

drivers, are not currently achieving the 

statutory level of safety should 

immediately notify FMCSA. The 

Agency will evaluate any adverse 

evidence submitted and, if safety is 

being compromised or if continuation of 

the exemption would not be consistent 

with the goals and objectives of 49 

U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA will 

take immediate steps to revoke the 

exemption of a driver. 

Issued on: August 21, 2006. 

Pamela M. Pelcovits, 

Director, Office of Policy Plans and 

Regulation. 

[FR Doc. E6–14178 Filed 8–25–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2005–21324] 

Pre-Trip Safety Information for 

Motorcoach Passengers 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA seeks comments on 

its proposed plan to implement National 

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 

recommendations for providing pre-trip 

safety information to motorcoach 

passengers. The NTSB recommends that 

the agency require, and develop 

minimum guidelines for, pre-trip safety 

information to be provided by 

motorcoach companies to passengers. 

FMCSA, in conjunction with 

stakeholders, has developed a basic plan 

for all motorcoach companies to 

implement a passenger safety awareness 

program. FMCSA proposes a flexible 

plan that would approve several 

methods of informing motorcoach 

passengers using visual and/or audio 

presentation, with or without 

technology assistance. FMCSA seeks 

motorcoach industry and stakeholder 

input in finalizing the plan. The goal of 

this initiative is to develop, and 

encourage adoption of, passenger safety 

awareness guidelines suited for diverse 

motorcoach operational types. 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

by November 27, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket Number FMCSA–

2005–21324, by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Agency Web Site: http:// 

dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 

submitting comments on the DOT 

electronic docket site. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 

Room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590–

0001. Please submit three copies of 

written comments. 

• Hand Delivery: Submit three copies 

of written comments to Room PL–401 

on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Instructions: Comments must refer to 

Docket Number FMCSA–2005–21324. 

All comments received will be posted 

without change to http://dms.dot.gov, 

including any personal information 

provided. For detailed instructions on 

submitting comments, see the ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ heading of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document. For a summary of DOT’s 

Privacy Act Statement or information on 

how to obtain a complete copy of DOT’s 

Privacy Act Statement please see the 

‘‘Privacy Act’’ heading of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read the application or comments 

received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any 

time or to Room PL–401 on the plaza 

level of the Nassif Building, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Peter Chandler, Commercial Passenger 

Carrier Safety Division (MC–ECP), 202–

366–5763; Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, 

SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

ET, Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation 

The DMS is available 24 hours each 

day, 365 days each year. You can get 

electronic submission and retrieval help 

and guidelines under the ‘‘Help’’ section 

of the DMS Web site. If you want us to 

notify you of receiving your comments, 

please include a self-addressed, 

stamped envelope or postcard or print 

the acknowledgement page displaying 

after received of on-line comments. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES

50972 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 166 / Monday, August 28, 2006 / Notices 

Privacy Act 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 

65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78) or you 

may visit http://dms.dot.gov. 

I. Background 

On February 26, 1999, NTSB issued 

five recommendations to the Secretary 

of Transportation. This public notice 

addresses the two 1999 

recommendations subsequently 

delegated to FMCSA: 

H–99–7, Provide guidance on the 

minimum information to be included 

in safety briefing materials for 

motorcoach operators. 

H–99–8, Require motorcoach operators 

to provide passengers with pre-trip 

safety information. 

NTSB made similar recommendations 

to the American Bus Association (ABA) 

and the United Motorcoach Association 

(UMA). The two 1999 recommendations 

were in response to a motorcoach crash 

on I–95 near Stony Creek, Virginia. On 

July 29, 1997, a 1985 Transportation 

Manufacturing Corporation motorcoach 

operated by Rite-Way Transportation, 

Inc. drifted off the side of I–95 and 

down an embankment into the 

Nottoway River, where it came to rest 

on its left side. At the time, a driver and 

34 passengers were onboard the 

motorcoach. One passenger was fatally 

injured. The driver and 3 passengers 

sustained serious injuries; 28 passengers 

sustained minor injuries. NTSB believed 

this fatal accident highlighted the need 

for motorcoach passengers to receive 

pre-trip safety information similar to the 

emergency evacuation information 

given during pre-flight safety briefings 

for commercial airline passengers. 

During several motorcoach crash 

investigations by NTSB, passengers 

described a general sense of panic 

because they did not know what to do 

or how to get out of the motorcoach. 

In the spring of 2003, FMCSA held 

informal meetings with ABA, UMA, and 

the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance 

(CVSA) which culminated in a working 

group to address the NTSB 

recommendations. Individuals from the 

motorcoach operating industry, 

motorcoach manufacturers, insurance 

industry, safety consulting industry, 

trade associations, State agencies, and 

other Federal regulatory agencies 

comprised the working group. the 

working group met initially via 

conference call on August 19, 2003, and 

reached consensus on a response to the 

NTSB recommendations on September 

16, 2003. 

The working group concluded it 

would be best to initially encourage the 

motorcoach industry to take voluntary 

action to improve pre-trip safety 

awareness. Motorcoach industry 

officials asserted it is impossible to 

develop a uniform passenger safety 

awareness regulation, flexible enough 

for industry-wide application, due to 

wide-ranging operational variances 

within the motorcoach industry. The 

group believed development and 

promotion of a list of best practices is 

a more effective and realistic alternative 

to ensure motorcoach passengers receive 

safety information. This notice 

announces FMCSA’s intent to work 

together with stakeholders on these 

safety guidelines. The guidelines would 

allow motorcoach companies to conduct 

pre-trip safety briefings as they deem 

appropriate. 

In an April 1, 2005, letter to FMCSA, 

the NTSB stated that the activities 

described above will provide 

motorcoach passengers with increased 

information about safety, and are 

responsive to recommendation H–99–7. 

In addition, NTSB stated such activities 

also provide an acceptable alternate 

approach to recommendation H–99–8. 

Based upon FMCSA’s actions taken and 

plans made, NTSB classified 

recommendation H–99–7 as ‘‘Open—

Acceptable Response’’ and 

recommendation H–99–8 as ‘‘Open—

Acceptable Alternate Response.’’ After 

reaching general consensus among 

stakeholders about a basic plan for 

motorcoach passenger safety awareness 

and developing a model informational 

pamphlet, FMCSA will submit such 

information and material to the NTSB 

for review. At such time, FMCSA and its 

safety partners will also begin 

monitoring crashes and complaints to 

verify that motorcoach companies are 

presenting pre-trip safety information to 

their passengers. 

II. Proposed Basic Plan for Motorcoach 

Passenger Safety Awareness 

Minimum Safety Topics To Be Covered 

1. Driver Direction—Advise 

passengers to look to the driver for 

direction and follow his/her 

instructions. 

2. Avoiding Slips and Falls—Warn 

passengers to exercise care when 

boarding and de-boarding the 

motorcoach, and to use the handrail 

when ascending or descending steps. 

Encourage passengers to remain seated 

as much as possible while the 

motorcoach is in motion. If it is 

necessary to walk while the motorcoach 

is moving, passengers should always 

use handrails and supports. 

Keep the aisle free of all property and 

debris. 

3. Emergency Contact—Advise 

passengers to call 911 via cellular 

telephone in the event of an emergency. 

4. Emergency exits—Point out the 

location of all emergency exits (pushout windows, roof vent, and side door) 

and explain how to operate them, 

including the emergency door release 

located on the dash or in the stairwell. 

Emphasize that, whenever feasible, the 

motorcoach door should be the primary 

exit choice. Encourage able-bodied 

passengers to assist any injured or 

mobility-impaired passengers during an 

emergency evacuation. 

5. Restroom Emergency Push Button 

on Switch—Inform motorcoach 

passengers of the emergency signal 

advice in the restroom. 

6. Fire extinguisher—Point out the 

location of the fire extinguisher. 

Alternative Methods of Presenting the 

Safety Information 

1. During passenger boarding: 

a. Informational pamphlets 

distributed to motorcoach passengers 

during boarding. 

2. After passenger boarding, 

immediately prior to moving the 

motorcoach: 

a. Suggestion by the driver for 

passengers to review informational 

pamphlets located in the pouches or 

sleeves on the back of seats. 

b. Oral presentation on safety 

information by the motorcoach driver 

(similar to the presentations by airline 

flight attendants prior to take-off) with 

or without informational pamphlets as 

visual aids. 

c. Automated audio presentation 

broadcasting a cassette tape or compact 

disk over the motorcoach audio system. 

d. Automated video presentation 

using a videotape or DVD on the 

motorcoach video system. 

Timing and Frequency of the 

Presentation 

Demand-responsive motorcoach 

operations such as charter and tour 

service should present the safety 

information to motorcoach passengers 

after boarding, prior to movement of the 

motorcoach. 

At a minimum, fixed route 

motorcoach service operations should 

present the safety information at all 

major stops or terminals after boarding, 

prior to movement of the motorcoach. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 166 / Monday, August 28, 2006 / Notices 50973 

III. Request for Comments 

FMCSA requests comments on the 

adequacy and comprehensiveness of the 

basic plan as well as recommendations 

for additional plan details. 

Issued on: August 21, 2006. 

David H. Hugel, 

Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration. 

[FR Doc. 06–7182 Filed 8–25–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2000–7257; Notice No. 40] 

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; 

Notice of Meeting 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of the Railroad Safety 

Advisory Committee (RSAC) meeting. 

SUMMARY: FRA announces the next 

meeting of the RSAC, a Federal 

Advisory Committee that develops 

railroad safety regulations through a 

consensus process. The RSAC meeting 

topics include opening remarks from the 

FRA Administrator, the private crossing 

safety inquiry, electronically controlled 

pneumatic brakes, a summary of the 

Collision Analysis Working Group Final 

Report, an update on Remote Control 

Locomotive training efforts, and a status 

report on the Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking on Railroad Operating 

Rules. Status reports will be given on 

the Passenger Safety, Roadway Worker, 

Continuous Welded Rail, and 

Locomotive Standards working groups. 

The Committee may possibly be asked 

to vote to accept a task on medical 

standards. This agenda is subject to 

change, and may include briefings on 

railroad security and other issues. 

DATES: The meeting of the RSAC is 

scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m., 

and conclude at 4 p.m., on Thursday, 

September 21, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting of the RSAC 

will be held at the Washington Plaza 

Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle, NW., 

Washington, DC 20005, (202) 842–1300. 

The meeting is open to the public on a 

first-come, first-serve basis, and is 

accessible to individuals with 

disabilities. Sign and oral interpretation 

can be made available if requested 10 

calendar days before the meeting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Butera, RSAC Coordinator, 

FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Stop 

25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–

6212 or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate 

Administrator for Safety Standards and 

Program Development, FRA, 1120 

Vermont Avenue, NW., Mailstop 25, 

Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–6302. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463), FRA is giving notice of a meeting 

of the RSAC. The meeting is scheduled 

to begin at 9:30 a.m., and conclude at 4 

p.m., on Thursday, September 21, 2006. 

The meeting of the RSAC will be held 

at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 

Thomas Circle, NW., Washington, DC 

20005, (202) 842–1300. 

RSAC was established to provide 

advice and recommendations to the 

FRA on railroad safety matters. The 

RSAC is composed of 54 voting 

representatives from 31 member 

organizations, representing various rail 

industry perspectives. In addition, there 

are non-voting advisory representatives 

from the agencies with railroad safety 

regulatory responsibility in Canada and 

Mexico, the National Transportation 

Safety Board, the Federal Transit 

Administration, and the Transportation 

Security Administration. The diversity 

of the Committee ensures the requisite 

range of views and expertise necessary 

to discharge its responsibilities. 

See the RSAC Web site for details on 

pending tasks at: http://rsac.fra.dot. 

gov/. Please refer to the notice published 

in the Federal Register on March 11, 

1996, (61 FR 9740) for more information 

about the RSAC. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 23, 

2006. 

Grady C. Cothen, Jr., 

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety 

Standards and Program Development. 

[FR Doc. E6–14257 Filed 8–25–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

Voluntary Intermodal Sealift 

Agreement (VISA)/Joint Planning 

Advisory Group (JPAG) 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Synopsis of July 26 and 27, 2006 

meeting with VISA participants. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Taylor E. Jones II, Director, Office of 

Sealift Support, (202) 366–2323. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The VISA 

program requires that a notice of the 

time, place, and nature of each JPAG 

meeting be published in the Federal 

Register. The full text of the VISA 

program, including these requirements, 

is published in 70 FR 55947–55955, 

dated September 23, 2005. 

On July 26 and 27, 2006, the Maritime 

Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. 

Transportation Command 

(USTRANSCOM) co-hosted a meeting of 

the VISA JPAG at the Military Sealift 

Command in Washington, DC. Meeting 

attendance was by invitation only, due 

to the nature of the information 

discussed and the need for a 

government-issued security clearance. 

Of the 52 U.S.-flag carrier corporate 

participants enrolled in the VISA 

program, 17 companies participated in 

the JPAG meeting. In addition, 

representatives from MARAD and the 

Department of Defense (DOD) attended 

the meeting. 

Margaret LeClaire, Deputy Director, 

Strategy, Plans, Policy & Programs, 

USTRANSCOM, and James Caponiti, 

Associate Administrator for National 

Security, MARAD, welcomed the 

participants. Ms. LeClaire noted that 

this JPAG was a table-top exercise to 

match industry capabilities to military 

requirements related to the findings of 

DOD’s Mobility Capabilities Study 

(MCS). She asked industry participants 

to be creative and to collaborate as 

necessary to offer solutions. She noted 

that there were DOD representatives 

present to answer specific questions 

related to the exercise. Mr. Caponiti 

remarked that while some progress has 

been made in recent JPAG meetings 

regarding the findings of DOD’s 

Mobility Capabilities Study, he 

expected that this exercise would 

provide the government with a better 

appreciation of industry capabilities. He 

requested that industry representatives 

itemize their concerns related to the 

exercise so that they might be addressed 

after the meeting. 

VISA participants coordinated their 

efforts to ensure that commercial 

resources were utilized in an efficient 

and innovative manner. As a result of 

the exercise there was general 

agreement that there was more 

capability in the commercial industry 

than was assumed in the MCS to meet 

timelines and satisfy requirements. The 

participants noted that their responses 

were based on numerous assumptions. 

It was agreed that a closer examination 

of equipment, infrastructure and 

intermodal constraints was needed, and 

that factors such as market conditions 

and trade seasonality should be 

considered and evaluated before final 

conclusions could be reached. 

The following VISA companies 

participated in the July 26 and 27, 2006 

JPAG meeting: American President 

Lines, Ltd.; American Roll-On Roll-Off 

Carrier, LLC; American Shipping Group; 

mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES