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TRANSPORTATION
INFORMATION CENTER |
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ABOUT
ROUNDTRIP SIGHTSEEING TOURS
Roundtrip Sightseeing Tour service is very specialized and
different from any other Transportation Charter Party Carrier of
Passengers (TCP) operation in that:
Roundtrip Sightseeing Tour
license allows the operator to take unrelated
 parties
(individuals) in the same vehicle on a roundtrip sightseeing
tour "loop" based on the operator's itinerary of events
pre-advertised for a particular tour: visiting a sequence of
points and places of interest chosen by the operator. Any
individual may pay to join (hop-on) the roundtrip tour at
any ticketing location/point and be returned to each
individual's start point and "hops off" or pays to continue
another tour. Remember, the operator must collect fares on
per person per roundtrip basis.
Roundtrip Sightseeing Tours
may be performed under
TCP-##-A
or S.
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TCP-A versus
TCP-S |
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TCP-A |
TCP-S |
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"A" Certificate: PUC
§§5371.1 and 5383. (The "PUC" numbers here and other
related
sections of the California Public Utilities Code that
define and describe the particular type of TCP
authority).
What an "A" certificate allows:
• Chartered service
• May operate vehicles of any seating
capacity
• May operate from any point to any
point within California
• May also conduct round-trip
sightseeing, as an "S" permit,
and may charge individual fares in doing so.
• Except for round-trip sightseeing,
charges must be based
on vehicle mileage, time of use, or combination.
• Present filing fee is $1.500.
Renewal fee is $500.
• May be transferred, presently for
$500 (see below for new fees) |
"S" Permit: PUC
§5384(c).
The "PUC"
number here and other related
sections of the California Public Utilities Code that
define and describe the particular type of TCP
authority).
What an "S" permit allows:
This is for carriers conducting
"round-trip sightseeing tour service."
• May operate vehicles of any seating
capacity
• May operate from any point to any point
within California
• May charge individual fares. May also
base charges on vehicle
mileage, time of use, or combination. (The "A"
certificate is the only
other type of TCP authority that allows individual
charges, only
when conducting round-trip sightseeing tour service.)
• May not be transferred.
•
present filing fee is
$500. Renewal fee is
$500. (see below for new fees) |
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California Code - Section 5371.1
(a) No charter-party carrier of passengers issued a
class A certificate subject to this section shall be
restricted as to point of origin or destination in the
State of California. |
(b) Every application for a certificate
or permit, or renewal thereof, shall be accompanied by
the appropriate fee as specified in Section 5373.1. |
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There is no limit to the size of vehicles you may
operate TCP-A or S.
Be aware that the
seating capacity of your largest vehicle will
determine:
(1) whether you are subject to CHP bus
safety inspections, both before your certificate is
issued, and annually thereafter, and
(2) the level of public liability and
property damage insurance you will be required
to maintain on file with the CPUC. |
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SEE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FEES Below |
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IMPORTANT NOTE:
Legislation enacted during 2010 (AB 2572) and effective
January 1, 2011 will change new application fees for
charter-party "B", "C", "P", "S" and "Z" authorities
from $500 to $1,000. Any new applications received by
the License Section after December 31, 2010 (regardless
of postmark) will not be processed without the required
$1,000 filing fee. AB 2572 will also change
charter-party renewal fees from $500 to $100. Only
authorities whose expiration dates are after December
31, 2010 will be renewed for this $100 fee. |
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Now, because "Class
A"
charter
party carrier certificate (TCP-A)
which allows the performance of any charter service from any
point to any other point in the State of California also allows
for the performance of Roundtrip Sightseeing Services described
above. However, unlike TCP-S, TCP-A is a certificate and
may be sold or transferred to another owner. Make note and
report to the PUC enforcement/compliance unit, the CHP or local
authorities, any customer whose conduct does not conform to safe
and through operation of a roundtrip sightseeing tour.
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Roundtrip
Sightseeing |
Passenger
Stage |
- a shared-ride
tour service,
- fares are
collected per person per roundtrip
- not a
point-to-point transportation service
- may service any
point or place of interest in the State of
California
- may take
tourists through a sequence of points of interest based
on the operator's itinerary of events for the specific
tour following the safest path authorized by zoning
laws: any appearance of a regular route may simply be
incidental.
- roundtrip
sightseeing fares for each trip depends on the
operator based on the length of time or mileage for
the roundtrip and does not require PUC
approval for the specific fare amount.
- state and federal
laws prohibit discrimination with respect to
seating of the passengers being transported based
on race or creed or code
- read and
compare more later......
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- a shared-ride
fixed points service
- fares are tariff
based per person fares between fixed points
- service is
primarily travel or commuter related service
- service is a
transportation service restricted by the California PUC
to transport passengers between PUC authorized, specific, points for a
PUC authorized, specific, fare
between any two authorized points.
- service requires
PUC approval to change fares and charges.
- service
transports passengers and their baggage; and or baggage
express if authorized.
- service is
certainly not a sightseeing service, any sightseeing
that appears to occur is incidental and particular to
each passenger being transported
- state and
federal laws prohibit discrimination with respect to
seating of the passengers being transported based
on race or creed or code
- read and
compare more later
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| .......... read and
compare more later |
- it is not a pre-arranged
charter service as
in the case of a "common carrier" (such as TCP-A, B, or P)
where:
- TCP-S
may be compared to passenger stage service (PSC)
in:
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Remember,
TCP-S is in its similarity to passenger stage
service (PSC)
in:
- offering a shared
tour-ride service, and
- the collection of
individual fares
- TCP-S fares per
roundtrip
- TCP-S as per state
and federal laws must not discriminate with respect to
seating of the individuals participating in any
roundtrip sightseeing tour based on race or creed or
code.
However,
- TCP-S is not a
transportation service
- TCP-S may service any
point or place of interest in the State of California.
- TCP-S may take
tourists through a sequence of points of interest based
on the operator's itinerary of events for the specific
tour following the safest part authorized by zoning
laws:
- any appearance of a regular route may simply be
incidental.
- TCP-S roundtrip
sightseeing fares for each trip depends on the operator
based on the length of time or mileage for the roundtrip
and does not require PUC approval for the
specific fare amount.
- TCP-S is the purest
tour service license and is included in
TCP-A.
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But, TCP-S
is very distinct from other TCP services in that
Roundtrip Sightseeing Tour service is very
specialized and different from any other
Transportation Charter Party Carrier of Passengers
(TCP) operation as follows:
it is not a pre-arranged as
in the case of a "common carrier" (such as TCP-A, B, or P)
where:
- the service performed is
for a single load/client (an individual or a group). the
service is performed on an exclusive basis.
- the service is paid for
on the basis of time of use ($$ per hour) and or mileage
($$ per mile) or a
combination thereof.
- tours are performed
pre-arranged per individual or group basis. the service
performed is dictated by the client.
- the operator only
provides transportation and complementary services.
- TCP-A, B or P
are pure transportation licenses compared to
TCP-S.
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Ask the CALIFORNIA PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSION (PUC) - License Section ; or call the PUC
at (415) 703-2063. YOU ARE IN CONTROL as you pay for Time or
Mileage. Anyone can use a tour-bus! They
take you directly to your home or business or wherever you want
within the state.
All tour-bus operators with the proper operating authority (license) know
how to quote the fares (charges) based strictly as
described above. Any carrier that charges otherwise
(Licensed or Not) is an illegal (or Bandit) operator; that
is, an operator operating beyond the scope of its
authority, and a possible danger to the public. NOTE, if an operator
ignores one rule he/she is more likely to ignore other safety (or
pricing) rules.
In
California, "share-ride" Shuttles also known as Passenger
Stage Corporations are licensed (granted a "certificate of public
convenience and necessity (CPCN)") to operate at the public's convenience.
A shuttle operator is one has prepared and filed a formal
Application, gone through the rigors of the application process and
has been qualified or authorized by the California Public Utilities
Commission to serve a specific route or operate between specific
points.
All Charter Party
Carriers of Passengers (TCP) are required to post their
License Number in a prescribed manner:
TCP - # - letter designation of
(A) or (B) or (P),
etc, denoting the type of service the carrier is authorized
to provide. Because TCP does not have specific service
points or tariffs they can take you anywhere in the State
and change their negotiable Rates at will prior to each
service: terminate service under inhospitable situations.
For information about
California TCP licenses, you may contact the PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSION (PUC) - License Section
at (415) 355-5547.
Regarding airport shuttle services, you may also call the
airport's "Landside Operations Unit (the department that
controls ground transportation at the airport)" of the
respective airports for safety concerns they might have
about any carrier that serves the airport. With shuttles, Safety and
the proper application of the fares is always of concern: some carriers may risk passenger safety in traffic or
operate uninsured equipment or use unqualified drivers, on
the one hand, or charge fares not authorized in the Tariff,
on the other hand.
This
webpage has been published to assist you and any member of
the public learn more about shuttle services, find and
reserve properly licensed shuttle services, and to
encourage shuttle companies to operate properly and safely.
WE encourage you to make your RESERVATION on this web site; we take
care of all the arrangements and provision of proper service for you for no additional charge to you.
Remember, we help
license some of the best companies that serve the public today:
this company has been formed by a former regulator with public safety and
fare market practices in mind.
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