Document ID: DOT-OST-2008-0196-0001
Agency: dot
Document Type: Rule
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2008-08-26T04:00Z

[Federal Register: August 26, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 166)]
[
Notices]               
[Page 50396]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26au08-118]                         

[[Page 50396]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket Number--DOT-OST-2008-0196]

 
Renewal of Approval of Information Collection Requirements

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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    OMB Control No.: 2100-0019.

    Title: Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities; 

Accessibility of Over-the-Road Buses (OTRBs).

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 

Law 104-13, this notice announces the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Office of the Secretary, (DOT) intention to request an 

extension of the information collection request (ICR) OMB No. 2100-

0019, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Information Collection 

Requirements for the ADA Rule for Over-the-Road Buses. DOT invites the 

general public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on 

the Department's request for the renewal Paperwork Reduction Act 

approval of the information requirements in Subpart H of 49 CFR Part 

37, concerning over-the-road buses. The current request approved by OMB 

expires on August 31, 2008.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by October 27, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may file comments identified by the docket number DOT-

OST-2008-0196 by any of the following methods:

     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://

www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 

comments.

     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 

Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

     Fax: (202) 493-2251.

    Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number 

DOT-OST-2008-0196 at the beginning of your comment. All comments 

received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, 

including any personal information provided.

    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any 

written communications and comments received into any of our dockets by 

the name of the individual submitting the document (or signing the 

document, 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), which may also be found at http://www.regulations.gov.

    You may request confidential treatment of comments or portions of 

comments under the procedures set forth in 49 CFR Part 105. While all 

comments should be sent to the FDMS, OST will consider separately and 

not place in the public docket those comments or portions of comments 

OST determines to include trade secrets, other confidential commercial 

information, or sensitive security information (SSI). In accordance 

with 49 CFR 105.30, you may ask OST to keep information confidential 

using the following procedures: (1) Mark ``confidential'' on each page 

of the original document you would like to keep confidential; (2) send 

FDMS both the original document and a second copy of the original 

document with the confidential information redacted; and (3) explain 

why the information is confidential (as a trade secret, other 

confidential commercial information, or SSI). In your explanation, you 

should provide enough information to enable OST to determine whether 

the information provided is protected by law and must be handled 

separately.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert C. Ashby, Acting Assistant 

General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement, Office of General 

Counsel, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20590, room W94-302, 202-366-9310, or via e-mail at 

bob.ashby@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Transportation for Individuals With Disabilities--

Accessibility of Over-the-Road Buses (OTRBs).

    OMB Control No.: 2100-0019.

    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

    Abstract: The Department of Transportation (DOT), in conjunction 

with the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance 

Board, issued final access regulations for privately operated over-the-

road buses (OTRBs) as required by the Americans with Disability Act 

(ADA) of 1990. The Final Rule on Accessibility of Over-the-Road Buses 

has the following recordkeeping/reporting requirements: The first has 

to do with 48 hour advance notice and compensation. The second has to 

do with equivalent service and compensation. The third has to do with 

reporting information on ridership on accessible fixed route buses. The 

fourth has to do with recordkeeping for 5 years. The fifth has to do 

with report submission to DOT annually. The sixth has to do with 

reporting information on the purchase and lease of accessible and 

inaccessible new and used buses. When initiating the information 

collection as part of the rulemaking that established the requirements 

in question, the Department provided the estimate of burdens set forth 

below. We have no reason to believe that the time necessary to comply 

with the information collection requirements has changed in the 

meantime. We would note that this estimate assumes compliance by bus 

operators with the information collection requirements. Reporting 

rates, however, have been low. The purpose of the information 

collection requirements is to provide data that the Department can use 

in reviewing the provisions of its rule and to assist the Department in 

its oversight of compliance by bus companies. In particular, the data 

will be used to assist the Department in conducting the reevaluation of 

the requirements of the over-the-road bus rule mentioned in the 

regulation itself.

    Respondents: Charter/tour service operators, fixed route companies, 

small mixed service operators.

    Estimated No. of Respondents: 3,448.

    Average Annual Burden per Respondent: Variable.

    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 316,226 hours.

    Burden Statement: The amount of data sought is held to the minimum 

amount necessary to ensure compliance with the regulation. As suggested 

in comments from both the bus industry and disability community 

commenters during the rulemaking leading to this rule, recordkeeping 

and reporting of this kind would be useful for the purpose of ensuring 

compliance. The cumulative total burden for the information collection 

is between 167,889 hours (low estimate) to 182,873 hours (high 

estimate).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 19, 2008.

Robert C. Ashby,

Acting Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement.

 [FR Doc. E8-19740 Filed 8-25-08; 8:45 am]

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