(a) Private charter operators shall provide the following information at http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/leg_reg_179.html to be considered a registered charter provider:

(1) Company name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and facsimile number;

(2) Federal and, if available, state motor carrier identifying number;

(3) The geographic service areas of public transit agencies, as identified by the transit agency's zip code, in which the private charter operator intends to provide charter service;

(4) The number of buses or vans the private charter operator owns;

(5) A certification that the private charter operator has valid insurance; and

(6) Whether willing to provide free or reduced rate charter services to registered qualified human service organizations.

(b) A private charter operator that provides valid information in this subpart is a “registered charter provider” for purposes of this part and shall have standing to file a complaint consistent with subpart F.

(c) A recipient, a registered charter provider, or their duly authorized representative, may challenge a registered charter provider's registration and request removal of the private charter operator from FTA's charter registration Web site by filing a complaint consistent with subpart F.

(d) FTA may refuse to post a private charter operator's information if the private charter operator fails to provide all of the required information as indicated on the FTA charter registration Web site.

(e) A registered charter provider shall provide current and accurate information on FTA's charter registration Web site, and shall update that information no less frequently than every two years.

(a) Upon receiving a request for charter service, a recipient may:

(1) Decline to provide the service, with or without referring the requestor to FTA's charter registration Web site (http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/leg_reg_179.html);

(2) Provide the service under an exception provided in subpart B of this part; or

(3) Provide notice to registered charter providers as provided in this section and provide the service pursuant to § 604.9.

(b) If a recipient is interested in providing charter service under the exception contained in § 604.9, then upon receipt of a request for charter service, the recipient shall provide e-mail notice to registered charter providers in the recipient's geographic service area in the following manner:

(1) E-mail notice of the request shall be sent by the close of business on the day the recipient receives the request unless the recipient received the request after 2 p.m., in which case the recipient shall send the notice by the close of business the next business day;

(2) E-mail notice sent to the list of registered charter providers shall include:

(i) Customer name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if available);

(ii) Requested date of service;

(iii) Approximate number of passengers;

(iv) Whether the type of equipment requested is (are) bus(es) or van(s); and

(v) Trip itinerary and approximate duration; and

(3) If the recipient intends to provide service that meets the definition of charter service under § 604.3(c)(2), the e-mail notice must include the fare the recipient intends to charge for the service.

(c) A recipient shall retain an electronic copy of the e-mail notice and the list of registered charter providers that were sent e-mail notice of the requested charter service for a period of at least three years from the date the e-mail notice was sent.

(d) If a recipient receives an “undeliverable” notice in response to its e-mail notice, the recipient shall send the notice via facsimile. The recipient shall maintain the record of the undeliverable e-mail notice and the facsimile sent confirmation for a period of three years.