Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 815 - Division of Public Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 50 - Common Carriers
Subchapter 10 - Motor Carriers of Passengers
Part 4 - Transportation of Passengers via Public Motor Vehicles (815-RICR-50-10-4)
Section 815-RICR-50-10-4.8 - Rules Regarding the Conduct of Business

A. Each certificate holder shall maintain a "business address" that must be a street address at which mailings may be delivered and said address shall be furnished to the Division. Post Office Boxes are not sufficient to satisfy this requirement. The certificate holder shall also provide the Division with the "garage address" where the vehicle(s) used in the business are stored when not in service. The "business address" and "garage address" may be the same. A change of business address or garage address shall be reported to the Division within ten (10) business days.

B. An attempt by a certificate holder or applicant to conceal the identity of a principal in the business shall be grounds for the denial of an application seeking the issuance of a certificate, or for revocation of an existing certificate.

C. The Division shall be notified in advance of all proposed changes of corporate officers, stockholders or members of the board of directors for corporations holding operating certificates. The Division reserves the right to approve or deny such proposed changes.

D. No certificate holder may use any other business name than that listed on the certificate. Should a business name be changed, the certificate holder must first, if the business is not a corporation, register the name with the city or town in which the business is located. If a corporation, the business must first register the name with the Secretary of State's Office. After registration, all new business names must be filed with the Division. The Division will review the filing to determine whether the name could cause confusion with any existing business. If the Division rejects the name, the certificate holder will be notified within ten (10) business days of the filing.

E. A certificate holder must retain required business documents at its business address for a minimum of 24 months after the end of the calendar year in which they were created. Such documents shall include, but not be limited to, vehicle inspection sheets pursuant to § 4.4 of this Part, written documents pursuant to § 4.7 of this Part, and driver Blue Card expiration logs pursuant to § 4.9 of this Part.

F. A certificate holder shall grant to Division personnel, upon request, access to its business offices, fleet vehicles, other equipment and business records, as provided for in R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-1-21.

G. A certificate holder must comply with any Division request for documents or information within ten (10) business days of the request, unless a written extension is granted by the Division. For the purpose of this rule, the word "comply" shall mean providing to the Division the documents requested or a sufficient reason why the documents are unavailable.

H. Smoking in a PMV shall be prohibited at all times.

I. Failure by any certificate holder to adhere to and comply with any of these rules and/or any applicable state statutes may be grounds for disciplinary sanctions, up to and including suspension or revocation of operating authority. Generally, such sanctions shall be sought and imposed only after a formal hearing on the issue, but the Division reserves the right (under § 4.2(A)(22) of this Part) to impose an immediate suspension of a certificate holders' authority if such an action is deemed in the public interest; if such a discretionary action is taken, a formal hearing shall be scheduled as soon as possible to gauge the appropriateness of the immediate suspension and to determine if the suspension shall continue.