(a) To be considered a registered charter provider, private charter operators shall register on FTA's charter registration website by providing the following information:

(1) Company name, address, phone number, email 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 the private charter operator is 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 of this part.

(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 website by filing a complaint consistent with subpart F of this part.

(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 required by paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) A registered charter provider shall provide current and accurate information on FTA's charter registration website 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 website;

(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 intends to provide charter service under the exception in § 604.9, it must provide email notice to registered charter providers in its geographic service area upon receiving a request for charter service, as follows:

(1) Email notice of the request must 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 must send the notice by the close of business the next business day;

(2) Email notice sent to the list of registered charter providers shall include:

(i) Customer name, address, phone number, and email 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 paragraph (2) of the definition of charter service under § 604.3, the email notice must include the fare the recipient intends to charge for the service.

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

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