NOTICES

PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Medallion Program, Inspection Procedures; Doc. No. M-00011589

[32 Pa.B. 402]

Public Meeting held
December 19, 2001

Commissioners Present: Glen R. Thomas, Chairperson; Robert K. Bloom, Vice Chairperson; Aaron Wilson, Jr.; Terrance J. Fitzpatrick

Order

By the Commission:

   The Medallion Act, 66 Pa.C.S. §§ 2401--2416, provides for Commission oversight of taxicab service in cities of the first class (Philadelphia). The Medallion Act provides that a vehicle may not be operated as a taxicab in cities of the first class unless a certificate of public convenience is issued authorizing the operation of the taxicab and a medallion is attached to the hood of the vehicle. See 66 Pa.C.S. § 2404(a). The medallion is reissued annually, consistent with the fiscal year (July 1--June 30) of the program. See 66 Pa.C.S. §§ 2406 and 2414(b). Under section 2406 of the Medallion Act, 66 Pa.C.S. § 2406, a medallion may not be reissued unless all outstanding Commission fines, penalties and fees have been paid and unless all insurance, tariff and vehicle inspection requirements are current. The Medallion Act authorizes the Commission to require, by order or regulation, that each medallion holder submit to a periodic inspection of its taxicab by Commission personnel. See 66 Pa.C.S. § 2404. The Medallion Act further requires that a medallion holder is required to have its vehicle inspected by the Commission prior to issuance of a medallion. See 66 Pa.C.S. § 2404.¹

   Currently the Commission performs annual (reissuance) medallion inspections in April, May and June. During this period, Commission personnel inspect approximately 1,600 taxicabs. These inspections are in addition to other duties required of the enforcement staff and significantly impact staff's ability to meet its ongoing responsibilities. While the Commission schedules inspections during the 3 month period in an attempt to evenly distribute the workload, scheduling of the inspections is voluntary and the bulk of the inspections occur in June. Also, medallion holders frequently fail to appear for scheduled inspections, creating lost time and requiring rescheduling. These factors further frustrate efforts of Commission enforcement staff to perform their duties.

   There is a need for a more structured annual inspection program. Therefore, we will implement an annual inspection program that evenly divides the inspections over the current 3 month period (April, May, June). The inspections will be performed by appointment on a Commission designated date. The Commission will notify a medallion holder of the inspection date for a particular vehicle. The medallion holder should then contact the Commission's Philadelphia office to schedule an appointment time for that designated date. A medallion holder who presents a vehicle for inspection which fails, will be fined for equipment defects. Reinspection will occur at the earliest convenience of the Commission.² Inspections will be performed only if renewal applications and fees have been filed and paid. All outstanding fines must also be satisfied.

   The inspection schedule will go into effect with the 2002-2003 medallion year. For that year, the inspection schedule will be as follows:

	Medallion #	Inspection Month
Group A	1--534	April, 2002
Group B	535--1067	May, 2002
Group C	1068--1600	June, 2002

   The following year, 2003-2004, the groups will be rotated as follows:

	Medallion #	Inspection Month
Group B	535--1067	April, 2003
Group C	1068--1600	May, 2003
Group A	1--534	June, 2003

   This rotation will continue in subsequent years, so that in 2004-2005, the first group to be inspected (April, 2004) will be medallion numbers 1068--1600 (Group C). Commission staff will provide an inspection schedule, listing specific dates on which designated medallion holders are to present vehicles for inspection. This schedule will be included in the annual renewal application currently mailed to all medallion holders. Each medallion holder should contact the Commission to schedule an appointment time for the designated inspection date.

   We believe that scheduling inspections evenly over the 3-month period will significantly aid our enforcement personnel in the diligent execution of their duties. While the Commission's workload will continue to be extremely heavy during the reinspection cycle, we believe that it will be more manageable. Medallion owners who choose not to schedule or honor an inspection appointment are cautioned that their vehicles may not be inspected prior to the July 1 deadline due to the Commission's workload. While the Commission will strive to accommodate all medallion owners' inspection needs, we strongly urge medallion owners to schedule inspections and honor appointments.

Therefore It Is Ordered That:

   1.  A Medallion inspection schedule, as set forth in this Order, is hereby implemented, to be effective with the 2002-2003 Medallion year.

   2.  The Secretary shall serve a copy of this Final Order on all current Medallion owners, by first class mail.

   3.  The Secretary shall have this Order published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

JAMES J. MCNULTY,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 02-120. Filed for public inspection January 18, 2002, 9:00 a.m.]

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¹ The Commission has promulgated regulations consistent with this statutory mandate. 52 Pa. Code § 30.33.

² If the vehicle presented for inspection fails and it is currently in service, that vehicle will be placed out-of-service immediately. Upon repair, the medallion holder may schedule a reinspection.

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