Washington Administrative Code

(1) Auto transportation companies may file joint tariffs providing through-ticket arrangements. Such tariffs must list all companies participating in the tariff, must show all fares, rates and charges applicable between points on its line and all affected points on the line of th…

(1) It is in the public interest to provide flexibility to auto transportation companies to charge fares for service.(2) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(a) "Base fare" means the fares set forth in the company's tariff, except for tariff suppleme…

(1) A general rate increase filing is a tariff change that would:(a) Increase the company's gross annual revenue from activities regulated by the commission by three percent or more.(b) Restructure tariffs so that the gross revenue generated by any customer class would increase b…

(1) General rate increase filings must include work papers supporting the proposed tariff changes based on a test year which is the most recent or appropriate consecutive twelve-month period for which financial data are available. Work papers must include, but are not limited to,…

An auto transportation company filing a rate change based on changes in general operating expenses must update the test period fuel costs using actual fuel costs for the most recent twelve-month period.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 81.04.160, 81.12.050, 81.68.030, and 81.7…

(1) The commission encourages auto transportation companies to explore innovative rates and rate structures including special or promotional fares intended to:(a) Retain or increase the number of passengers using the company's services;(b) Provide the public with flexible transpo…

The consumer rules apply only to auto transportation companies. Charter and excursion carriers are not subject to the provisions of Part 8 of this chapter.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 81.04.160, 81.12.050, 81.68.030, and 81.70.270. WSR 06-13-006 (General Order No. R-533, …

(1) Company information. A company that provides auto transportation company service must have a:(a) Toll-free or local business telephone number for customers located within the company's authorized service area; and(b) Mailing address.(2) Messaging. A company must have voice ma…

Passenger transportation companies must comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), comparable Washington statutes, and federal and state rules promulgated pursuant to those statutes including, but not limited to, requirements for nondiscrimination, service animals, emp…

(1) A company may refuse service to a person when:(a) In the company's judgment, providing the service would be hazardous, unsafe, or dangerous to persons or property;(b) In the company's judgment, driveways or roads are improperly constructed or maintained, do not have adequate …

(1) Customer information includes the customer's name, address, and telephone number.(2) Companies must use customer information only for:(a) Providing and billing for services the customer requests, either directly or through a contractor;(b) Marketing new services or options to…

(1) Company responsibility.(a) Complaints from customer. When a company receives a service or rate complaint from a customer it must:(i) Acknowledge the complaint within twenty-four hours;(ii) Investigate promptly;(iii) Report the results of the investigation to the complainant;(…

Companies may offer customers a credit or refund as compensation for service quality problems, billing problems, or other problems experienced by the customer.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 81.04.160, 81.12.050, 81.68.030, and 81.70.270. WSR 06-13-006 (General Order No. R-5…

(1) An auto transportation company must provide its customers with tickets, receipts, or other alternate informational documents that include, but are not limited to, the following information:(a) The name of the company;(b) The service, trip, or route on which the ticket applies…

(1) Baggage liability. An auto transportation company must include provisions in its filed tariff relating to its liability for loss or damage to baggage checked by the passenger.(a) The minimum amount of liability must be:(i) At least two hundred fifty dollars per adult fare; an…

(1) General requirements: No passenger transportation company may operate any motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles over the public highways of this state in interstate commerce unless the company has:(a) Obtained the appropriate operating authority from the Federal Moto…

A carrier operating under interstate authority issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or its successor agency must register with the commission and pay fees as required by the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program or any successor program as requir…

(1) Registration fee. The annual registration fee for registered and registered exempt interstate passenger transportation companies operating vehicles over the public highways of Washington state is:(a) $10 For each motor vehicle operated by a passenger transportation company pr…

Registered and registered exempt carriers conducting interstate operations must provide evidence of insurance in the amount required by the USDOT or its successor agency written by a company authorized to write insurance in any state.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 81.04.160…

WAC 480-30-999In this chapter, the commission adopts by reference all or portions of regulations and standards identified below. They are available for inspection at the commission library. The publications, effective dates, references within this chapter, and availability of the…

The purpose of this section is to ensure that private, nonprofit transportation providers, who primarily operate by using revenues received from governmental grants and/or charitable organizations, do so in a manner that is safe and reasonable for persons with special transportat…

These rules will apply to any private, nonprofit transportation provider so defined by the laws of the state of Washington, engaged in the business of providing transportation subject to the jurisdiction of this commission for persons with special transportation needs.Cases of er…

Unless the language or context indicates that a different meaning is intended, the following words, terms, and phrases will, for the purpose of this chapter, mean the following:(1) State - The state of Washington.(2) Commission - The Washington utilities and transportation commis…

No provider may operate a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state until the owner of the vehicle or person lawfully responsible for the vehicle has complied with the laws of this state pertaining to licenses, obtained a certificate from the commission, and complied w…

(1) The commission will issue a certificate to any corporation which files a completed application, as provided by the commission, which provides:(a) Satisfactory proof of its status as a private, nonprofit corporation;(b) Information sufficient to determine the particular servic…

(1) Cause for suspension. The commission may suspend a certificate for cause. Cause includes, but is not limited to:(a) Failure to maintain evidence of required liability insurance coverage for all areas of a private, nonprofit transportation provider's operations;(b) Failure to …

(1) The commission may reinstate a certificate canceled for cause under the provisions of WAC 480-31-052 (Suspending and canceling certificates) if the private, nonprofit transportation provider:(a) Corrects all conditions leading to the cancellation;(b) Provides a written statem…

(1) Evidence of liability and property damage insurance or a surety bond must be on file before a certificate will be issued to a private, nonprofit transportation provider. The insurance or surety bond must have been written by a company authorized to write such insurance in the…

(1) A private, nonprofit transportation provider must pay to the commission an annual fee for each vehicle operated. The fee is established by commission order. The provider must pay the annual fee with the filing of the annual report.(2) At the close of each calendar year, every…

Any complaint or dispute involving a passenger and a provider for which the commission has jurisdiction must be treated in the following manner:(1) Each complaint or dispute received by a provider from a passenger must be investigated promptly as required by the particular case, …

In addition to other laws and regulations of this state, all providers must comply with the rules and regulations governing motor carrier safety prescribed by the United States Department of Transportation in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:(1) Part 379, Preserv…

Providers must display identification markings on the driver and passenger side of the vehicles.The markings must include the name of the provider as registered with the commission and the certificate number. Provided however, providers holding both intrastate and interstate auth…

(1) All motor vehicles operated by providers must be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. They must at all times be subject to inspection by the commission and its duly authorized representatives who will have power to order out-of-service any vehicle failing to meet the …

(1) All motor vehicles must be operated in accordance with the requirements of existing state laws and no driver or operator will operate the same in any other than a careful and prudent manner, nor at any greater speed than is reasonable or proper, having due regard to the traff…

(1) Department of licensing intrastate medical waiver. A private, nonprofit transportation provider may use a driver that is not physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle under Title 49 C.F.R. Part 391.41, if the driver:(a) Only operates commercial motor vehicles i…

WAC 480-31-999In this chapter, the commission adopts by reference all or portions of regulations and standards identified below. They are available for inspection at the commission library. The publications, effective dates, references within this chapter, and availability of the…

(1) Commercial ferries shall comply with the terms of this chapter in addition to rules prescribed by the commission for public service companies in general.(2) This chapter is subject to such exceptions as the commission may consider just and reasonable in individual cases.(3) A…

For the purposes of these rules, the following definitions shall apply:(1) The term "commercial ferry" means every corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership and person, their lessees, trustees or receivers, appointed by any court whatever, owning, co…

The rules of this chapter do not apply to the following vessels or operations:(1) Charter services;(2) Passenger-carrying vessels that depart and return to the point of origin without stopping at another location within the state where passengers leave the vessel;(3) Vessels oper…

(1) Commercial ferries must comply with all pertinent federal and state laws, chapter 81.84 RCW, and the rules of this commission.(2) No certificated commercial ferry shall provide service subject to the regulation of this commission without first having obtained from the commiss…

(1) Any person desiring to operate a commercial ferry which is required by the provisions of chapter 81.84 RCW to be certificated, to acquire a controlling interest in, or to acquire by transfer any certificate, shall file with the Washington utilities and transportation commissi…

(1) The commission shall send a notice of each application for certificated commercial ferry service and each application to operate vessels providing excursion service, with a description of the terms of that application, to all persons presently certificated to provide service;…

(1) Application. An application to provide service otherwise forbidden by the ten-mile restriction in RCW 47.60.120 shall include a request for waiver of that restriction.(2) Notice—Protests. The commission shall send a notice of each application for waiver of the ten-mile restri…

(1) The commission may issue temporary certificates for authority to provide service for a period not to exceed one hundred eighty days.(2) The commission shall not issue a temporary certificate to operate on a route for which a certificate has been issued or for which an applica…

(1) Liability and property damage insurance or surety bond.(a) Prior to the commission issuing a certificate, and prior to the commission issuing a registration to a common carrier ferry operating passenger-carrying vessels, each applicant shall file with the commission evidence …

(1) No commercial ferry shall operate any vessel that has not been inspected by the United States Coast Guard and certified to be safe and seaworthy for its intended operation.(2) Each commercial ferry shall maintain in its main office a copy of the most current certificate issue…

(1) No person shall operate a common carrier ferry vessel without first having registered with the commission and filing a tariff in accordance with the provisions of WAC 480-51-080. Registration to be made on forms supplied by the commission. Operators of passenger-carrying comm…