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MOTORCOACH LEGISLATION Secretary of Transportation to require a registration update within 30 days if a carrier changes addresses, contact information, offi cers, process agents or other essential information. "MAP-21 does good to limit the ex- posure of new or reincarnated com- mercial carriers," says Stancil. "The written profi ciency exam and safety fi tness exam are good examples of try- ing to put safeguards in place before a potential rogue operator can operate for an extended period of time." Penalties for operating an unfi t passenger coach company have been boosted to $25,000 for each violation. The bill also raises the penalties for evasion of regulations and opens sub- sequent violations to criminal pros- ecution. Additionally, MAP-21 autho- rizes the Secretary of Transportation to take more drastic measures, including impounding the entire fl eet, for repeat offenders. "One of the things that we really like is that this does a good job of getting to carriers that operate at a very low level of safety — the repeat offenders, the troublemakers, the folks that never should have been in the business in the fi rst place," says Dan Ronan, sr. di- rector of communications for the ABA. "The bill also allows the government to seize motorcoaches from compa- nies that have been declared an immi- nent hazard. They can actually put the buses behind a fence and lock them up." The bill also requires states that place a passenger carrier out of service to provide reasonable and secure tem- porary shelter and accommodations for passengers in transit. Regulations promulgated under this section must include the consideration of public safety, protection of passengers and cargo, inconvenience to passengers and security of the vehicle. As for the safety of the actual mo- torcoaches, MAP-21 states that the National Highway Traffi c Safety Ad- ministration (NHTSA) must create regulations requiring seat belts to be installed in motorcoaches at each des- ignated seat not later than one year from the bill's passage, with the rule being put into effect two years from then. The industry is currently wait- ing for seat belt rulemaking that was already set to be unveiled some time this year. "It really gives NHTSA the time to get the job done," says Parra. "There is adequate time, as well as a real empha- sis on research, without being terribly prescriptive." As for retrofi tting motorcoaches, NHTSA will assess the feasibility, ben- efi ts and costs on the application of the seat belts or anti-ejection counter- measures provision to existing motor- coaches. NHTSA must report to Con- gress on the assessment in two years. Additionally, in no later than two years, MAP-21 says the U.S. DOT must 70 < mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 metro-magazine.com