PRINTER'S NO. 2239
No. 247 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY WOGAN, McCALL, KENNEY, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS,
L. I. COHEN, DALEY, FICHTER, GEIST, GEORGE, HALUSKA, HARHAI,
HENNESSEY, HORSEY, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, RAYMOND,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SHANER, WRIGHT AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 18, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 18, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 conduct a comprehensive study of the regulation of common
3 carriers of passengers in this Commonwealth, including the
4 Philadelphia taxicab medallion program and the First Class
5 City Taxicab Regulatory Fund, to explore and recommend
6 strategies to improve the operations of common carriers of
7 passengers providing service in this Commonwealth.
8 WHEREAS, Common carriers provide an invaluable service by
9 offering high-quality and affordable transportation to hundreds
10 of thousands of residents of this Commonwealth who require
11 reasonable transportation to maintain employment, obtain an
12 education and shop for life-sustaining necessities; and
13 WHEREAS, Common carriers promote tourism, which contributes
14 to the economy of this Commonwealth, providing in excess of
15 $26.08 billion in visitor spending, 500,000 jobs with an $11.2
16 billion payroll and nearly $1.1 billion in tax revenues for this
17 Commonwealth; and
18 WHEREAS, The Motor Carrier Services and Enforcement Division
19 of the Bureau of Transportation and Safety of the Pennsylvania
1 Public Utility Commission is responsible for certification and
2 regulation of common carriers of passengers and for conducting
3 vehicle inspections, complaint investigations, carrier reviews
4 and audits of carriers, including taxicabs, to ensure safe and
5 clean vehicles, properly licensed drivers and the provision of
6 safe and reasonable service; and
7 WHEREAS, There are approximately 7,500 common carriers and
8 passenger brokers currently operating in this Commonwealth under
9 rules and regulations promulgated by the Pennsylvania Public
10 Utility Commission; and
11 WHEREAS, Of those 7,500 common carriers and passenger
12 brokers, approximately 1,600 operate in accordance with
13 commission regulations promulgated under Act 21 of 1990, which
14 provided for the regulation of taxicabs in first class cities;
15 and
16 WHEREAS, Since the inception of the Philadelphia taxicab
17 medallion program, an estimated $20 million has been collected
18 and deposited in the First Class City Taxicab Regulatory Fund to
19 further advance and improve the program; and
20 WHEREAS, Interest earned on the moneys contained in the First
21 Class City Taxicab Regulatory Fund are deposited by the Treasury
22 Department in the General Fund rather than credited to the First
23 Class City Taxicab Regulatory Fund restricted revenue account;
24 therefore be it
25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
26 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in cooperation and with
27 the active participation of the Pennsylvania Public Utility
28 Commission's Bureau of Transportation and Safety to conduct a
29 comprehensive review and evaluation of the regulation of common
30 carriers of passengers in this Commonwealth, including the
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1 Philadelphia taxicab medallion program and the First Class City
2 Taxicab Regulatory Fund, to improve the operations of common
3 carriers of passengers, including those participating in the
4 Philadelphia taxicab medallion program, in this Commonwealth;
5 and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
7 develop strategies for improving services provided in this
8 Commonwealth by common carriers of passengers, including
9 services associated with the Philadelphia taxicab medallion
10 program, and report its findings and recommendations to the
11 House of Representatives no later than November 15, 2001.
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