Section 57A18 - Records and reports

53 PA Cons Stat § 57A18 (2019) (N/A)
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(a) Duty to keep.--

(1) A transportation network company shall keep accurate books and records of account of the transportation network company's operations for a minimum of three years. Such records shall be made available for inspection by the authority in response to a specific complaint about a driver or transportation network company as necessary to investigate and resolve the complaint, or in response to a compliance inquiry by the authority.

(2) The authority shall interview complainants or witnesses related to the matter being investigated, if any, and take other steps to ascertain whether there is a reasonable basis to suspect noncompliance prior to requiring a transportation network company to make the requested records and reports available to the authority. Records and reports determined by the authority to be necessary for further investigation and prosecution after review shall be produced to the possession of the authority.

(3) The inspection of records and reports shall occur at a location within the city directed by the authority.

(b) Compliance audits.--

(1) The authority may direct that a transportation network company provide to the authority a selection of randomly selected unique identification numbers, each of which has been assigned to a transportation network company driver who is an active driver at the time of the submission. The authority may require a transportation network company to evidence the manner in which the drivers designated were randomly selected.

(2) Each transportation network company shall provide to the authority an e-mail address or other means of instant electronic communication of a company representative for purposes of this audit designation, which will be deemed received on the date sent to the authority.

(3) The authority may require transportation network companies to disclose unique identification numbers based upon the transportation network company's classification under section 57A09 (relating to vehicle inspections) as follows:

(i) Class A transportation network company: Up to 1,000 unique identification numbers.

(ii) Class B transportation network company: Up to 500 unique identification numbers.

(iii) Class C transportation network company: Up to 250 unique identification numbers.

(4) The authority may designate up to 5% of the drivers identified in the list provided pursuant to this subsection or 25 drivers, whichever is greater, for a compliance audit.

(5) Within five business days of receiving an audit designation as provided in paragraph (1), the transportation network company shall make available for a visual, on-site inspection to the authority the records required to be maintained under section 57A04(a)(2)(iii) and (iv) (relating to qualifications for licensure) so that the authority may verify that the company has complied with the driver screening requirements and to confirm that the selected drivers qualify as transportation network company drivers as provided in this chapter.

(6) The audit shall be conducted at a location in the city designated by the authority.

(7) The authority may conduct no more than one audit pursuant to this subsection once every 90 days.

(c) Imposition of penalty.--

(1) If an audit conducted under subsection (b) reveals that the company authorized a driver to operate as a transportation network company driver when the background check or driving history reviewed in accordance with section 57A12(c)(relating to transportation network company drivers) revealed that they were ineligible, the authority may impose a penalty against the transportation network company in an amount not greater than $1,000 for each noncompliant driver.

(2) The transportation network company shall immediately remove a noncompliant driver identified as provided in paragraph (1) from transportation network service upon the authority's direction.

(3) The authority may alert other transportation network companies of the ineligibility of the noncompliant driver in order to protect the public good.

(d) Follow-up report and remedial audit.--

(1) (i) In the event that an audit discrepancy is identified as specified in subsection (c)(1), the authority may direct a transportation network company to submit a follow-up report detailing its efforts to ensure compliance with section 57A12(c).

(ii) In the event that an egregious audit discrepancy is identified or multiple audit discrepancies are identified or the authority makes a reasonable determination that a transportation network company has failed to reasonably cooperate in the driver information audit process, the authority may direct a transportation network company to participate in remedial audits.

(iii) A direction under this section shall be considered a direction of staff as provided for in 52 Pa. Code § 1005.24 (relating to appeals from actions of the staff).

(2) A remedial audit shall proceed as provided in subsection (b). For purposes of the remedial audit, the authority may designate up to 10% of the drivers identified in the list disclosed pursuant to subsection (b)(1).

(3) The authority may direct one remedial audit at any time each month for a four-month period following the discovery of the violation.

(4) If an audit conducted under this subsection reveals that the company authorized a driver to operate as a transportation network company when the background check or driving history reviewed in accordance with section 57A12(c) revealed that they were ineligible, the authority may impose a penalty against the transportation network company in an amount not greater than $2,500 for each noncompliant driver.

(5) The transportation network company shall immediately remove a noncompliant driver identified as provided in paragraph (4) from transportation network service at the authority's direction. The authority may alert other transportation network companies of the ineligibility of the noncompliant driver in order to protect the public good.

(e) Construction.--

(1) This section is intended to foster general compliance with driver qualification reviews conducted by transportation network companies.

(2) This section shall not be construed to limit the power of the authority to conduct enforcement investigations related to transportation network companies or transportation network company drivers, or both, as authorized under this chapter or the obligation of transportation network companies, their agents and employees and transportation network company drivers to cooperate with such investigations and produce information demanded as required under this chapter.

(3) A transportation network company driver-related discrepancy, as identified in subsection (d), discovered during the course of an enforcement action shall result in the transportation network company being subject to the same penalty, reporting and remedial audit obligations provided in this section.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, information produced to the authority in furtherance of an enforcement investigation or pursuant to this section shall not be released to a third party, including through a request submitted under the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.

(f) Class A.--A transportation network company that is classified as a Class A TNC under this section and section 57A09 and a Tier 1 TNC under section 57A21 (relating to enforcement and rules and regulations) shall not be required to disclose to the authority the number of vehicles or drivers associated with its digital platform.

Cross References. Section 57A18 is referred to in sections 57A02, 57A04 of this title.