Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 815 - Division of Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 50 - Common Carriers › Subchapter 10 - Motor Carriers of Passengers › Part 4 - Transportation of Passengers via Public Motor Vehicles (815-RICR-50-10-4) › Section 815-RICR-50-10-4.8 - Rules Regarding the Conduct of Business

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Each
				  certificate holder shall maintain a "business address" that must be a street
				  address at which mailings may be delivered and said address shall be furnished
				  to the Division. Post Office Boxes are not sufficient to satisfy this
				  requirement. The certificate holder shall also provide the Division with the
				  "garage address" where the vehicle(s) used in the business are stored when not
				  in service. The "business address" and "garage address" may be the same. A
				  change of business address or garage address shall be reported to the Division
				  within ten (10) business days.
B.
				  An attempt by a certificate holder or applicant to conceal the identity of a
				  principal in the business shall be grounds for the denial of an application
				  seeking the issuance of a certificate, or for revocation of an existing
				  certificate.
C. The Division shall
				  be notified in advance of all proposed changes of corporate officers,
				  stockholders or members of the board of directors for corporations holding
				  operating certificates. The Division reserves the right to approve or deny such
				  proposed changes.
D. No
				  certificate holder may use any other business name than that listed on the
				  certificate. Should a business name be changed, the certificate holder must
				  first, if the business is not a corporation, register the name with the city or
				  town in which the business is located. If a corporation, the business must
				  first register the name with the Secretary of State's Office. After
				  registration, all new business names must be filed with the Division. The
				  Division will review the filing to determine whether the name could cause
				  confusion with any existing business. If the Division rejects the name, the
				  certificate holder will be notified within ten (10) business days of the
				  filing.
E. A certificate holder
				  must retain required business documents at its business address for a minimum
				  of 24 months after the end of the calendar year in which they were created.
				  Such documents shall include, but not be limited to, vehicle inspection sheets
				  pursuant to §
										4.4   of this Part, written documents pursuant to §
										4.7   of
				  this Part, and driver Blue Card expiration logs pursuant to §
										4.9   of this
				  Part.
F. A certificate holder shall
				  grant to Division personnel, upon request, access to its business offices,
				  fleet vehicles, other equipment and business records, as provided for in R.I.
				  Gen. Laws §
										39-1-21.
G. A certificate holder must comply with any
				  Division request for documents or information within ten (10) business days of
				  the request, unless a written extension is granted by the Division. For the
				  purpose of this rule, the word "comply" shall mean providing to the Division
				  the documents requested or a sufficient reason why the documents are
				  unavailable.
H. Smoking in a PMV
				  shall be prohibited at all times.
I. Failure by any certificate holder to
				  adhere to and comply with any of these rules and/or any applicable state
				  statutes may be grounds for disciplinary sanctions, up to and including
				  suspension or revocation of operating authority. Generally, such sanctions
				  shall be sought and imposed only after a formal hearing on the issue, but the
				  Division reserves the right (under §
										4.2(A)(22)   of this Part) to impose an
				  immediate suspension of a certificate holders' authority if such an action is
				  deemed in the public interest; if such a discretionary action is taken, a
				  formal hearing shall be scheduled as soon as possible to gauge the
				  appropriateness of the immediate suspension and to determine if the suspension
				  shall continue.