Today Rep. Bennie Thompson introduced H.R. 3628, the Motor Carriers Accountability Act, a new piece of legislation designed to require motor carriers to mitigate hardships due to unwarranted and excessive passenger delays.
The legislation requires motor carriers to mitigate hardships due to unwarranted and excessive passenger delays in interstate motor carrier transportation. Motor carriers will be required to create and implement a contingency plan for passenger delays that last for three or more hours, which would include:
- Providing passengers with adequate food and water
- Operable lavatory facilities at stations
- A full refund of the price of a passenger’s ticket if there is a delay and provide the remainder of the trip to the passenger without charge.
“I am filing this legislation because of the absence of accountability to hold common carriers responsible for abandoning passengers. This issue has occurred several times in Jackson, MS, as well as other parts of the country. The facilities are often unsanitary and inhumane and the companies fail to offer passengers food or shelter to accommodate their delay,” said Thompson.
Travel by bus has been categorized by the Bureau of Transpiration Statistics as the third most popular choice for long-distance travel. Bus Travel has continued to be the most traditional, efficient and cheapest mode of transportation for travelers. With bus travel being one of the most preferred modes of travel by passengers, motor carriers must be held accountable for excessive passenger delays.
Congressman Bennie Thompson Press Release
7/9/2019
Sarah Ulmer
