[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15866-15867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8012]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. OST-98-3648]


Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information 
Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35, as amended), before an agency submits a proposed collection of 
information to OMB for approval, it must publish a document in the 
Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise 
consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning 
each proposed collection of information. This notice announces the 
Department of Transportation's (DOT) intention to request approval of 
the following collection of information. Interested parties are invited 
to send comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including: (1) the necessity and utility of the information collection; 
(2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB 
approval of this information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 1, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited 
at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to OST's Docket 
Management Facility, located on the Plaza Level of the Nassif Building 
at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. The DOT Docket is open to the 
public from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane A. Workie, Office of the General 
Counsel, Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 10424, 
Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 366-4723.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Office of the Secretary

    Title: The DOT Final Rule on Accessibility of Over-the-Road Buses.
    OMB Control Number: 2100-NEW.
    Type of Request: Approval of a New Information Collection.
    Abstract: The Department of Transportation (DOT), in conjunction 
with the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance 
Board, issued final access regulations for privately-operated over-the-
road buses (OTRBs) as required by the Americans with Disability Act 
(ADA) of 1990. The final rule has four different recordkeeping/
reporting requirements. The first has to do with 48 hour advance notice 
and compensation. The second has to do with equivalent service and 
compensation. The third has to do with reporting information on 
ridership on accessible fixed-route buses. The fourth has to do with 
reporting information on the purchase and lease of accessible and 
inaccessible new and used buses. The purpose of the information 
collection requirements is to provide data that the Department can use 
in its regulatory review and to assist the Department in

[[Page 15867]]

its oversight of compliance by bus companies.
    (1)(A) Requirement to fill out a form each time there is an advance 
notice request.
    Respondents: Demand-responsive (i.e. charter/tour service) 
operators. Fixed route companies before fleet becomes fully accessible. 
Small mixed service operators that choose to provide 48 hour notice.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 3.3 (low estimate) to 5.0 
(high estimate) hours for each of the 3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 11,378 (low estimate) to 17,240 
(high estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 15 times (low estimate) and 23 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (1)(B) Requirement to provide a copy of the form to the passenger 
when the operator receives a request for accessible bus service.
    Respondents: Demand-responsive (i.e. charter/tour service) 
operators. Fixed route companies before fleet becomes fully accessible. 
Small mixed service operators that choose to provide 48 hour notice.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 3.2 (low estimate) to 4.8 
hours (high estimate) for each of the 3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 11,034 (low estimate) to 16,550 
(high estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 15 times (low estimate) and 23 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (1)(C) Requirement to provide a copy of the form to the passenger 
on the scheduled date of trip if the requested accessible bus was not 
provided.
    Respondents: Demand-responsive (i.e. charter/tour service) 
operators. Fixed route companies before fleet becomes fully accessible. 
Small mixed service operators that choose to provide 48 hour notice.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 0.3 (low estimate) to 0.5 
hours (high estimate) for each of the 3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1034 (low estimate) to 1724 (high 
estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 1 time (low estimate) to 2 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (1)(D) Requirement to retain one copy of the form for 5 years.
    Respondents: Demand-responsive (i.e. charter/tour service) 
operators. Fixed route companies before fleet becomes fully accessible. 
Small mixed service operators that choose to provide 48 hour notice.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 1.9 (low estimate) to 2.9 
(high estimate) hours for each of the 3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 6,551 (low estimate) to 9,999 (high 
estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 15 times (low estimate) and 23 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (1)(E) Requirement to submit a summary of its form to DOT.
    Respondents: Demand-responsive (i.e. charter/tour service) 
operators. Fixed route companies before fleet becomes fully accessible. 
Small mixed service operators that choose to provide 48 hour notice.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 35.4 hours for each of the 
3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 122,059 hours.
    Frequency: Submit summary to DOT annually.
    (2)(A) Requirement to fill out a form each time fixed route 
operator provides equivalent service.
    Respondents: Small fixed route operators who choose to provide 
equivalent service to passengers with disabilities.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 4.0 (low estimate) to 6.3 
(high estimate) hours for each of the 215 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 860 (low estimate) to 1,355 (high 
estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 18 times (low estimate) and 28 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (2)(B) Requirement to provide one copy of the form to the 
passenger.
    Respondents: Small fixed route operators who choose to provide 
equivalent service to passengers with disabilities.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 3.8 (low estimate) to 5.9 
(high estimate) hours for each of the 215 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 409 (low estimate) to 1269 (high 
estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 18 times (low estimate) and 28 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (2)(C) Requirement to retain copy for 5 years.
    Respondents: Small fixed route operators who choose to provide 
equivalent service to passengers with disabilities.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 2.3 (low estimate) to 3.6 
(high estimate) hours for each of the 215 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 494.5 (low estimate) to 774 (high 
estimate) hours.
    Frequency: 18 times (low estimate) and 28 times (high estimate) in 
initial year.
    (2)(D) Requirement to submit a summary of its form to DOT.
    Respondents: Small fixed route operators who choose to provide 
equivalent service to passengers with disabilities.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 35.4 hours for each of the 
215 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 7,611 hours.
    Frequency: Submit summary to DOT annually.
    (3) Requirement to submit a report to DOT on ridership on 
accessible fixed route buses.
    Respondents: Fixed route operators.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 35.4 hours for each of the 
448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 15,859 hours.
    Frequency: Submit report to DOT annually.
    (4) Requirement to submit a report to DOT listing the number of 
accessible and inaccessible new and used buses it has purchased or 
leased, as well as the total numbers of buses in operators' fleets.
    Respondents: All operators.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 35.4 hours for each of the 
3,448 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 122,059 hours.
    Frequency: Submit report to DOT annually.
    The estimated total annual burden resulting from the collection of 
information in the DOT Final Rule on Accessibility of Over-the-Road 
Buses is between 298,682 hours (low estimate) to 315,001 hours (high 
estimate).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 25, 1999.
Vanester M. Williams,
Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 99-8012 Filed 3-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P