(a)
The district may engage in the business of providing charter bus service, sightseeing service, special school service, and other service, including any other service as may be provided by its predecessor, the Sacramento Transit Authority.
(b)
No bus equipment which is designed solely for charter service shall be purchased. No
intercity model bus shall be operated in charter service; however, nothing in this section shall limit the features and equipment on, or the use of, transit and suburban model buses.
(c)
The board shall hold a public hearing prior to adopting a charter rate schedule or any amendment thereof. Notice of the hearing shall be mailed at least 30 days in advance to each charter-party carrier maintaining an office or equipment point within the district, and to each charter-party carrier or representative thereof who has requested, in writing, to be notified of such hearings. A notice shall include the proposed charter rate schedule. At the close of the public hearing, the board may adopt charter rate schedules which shall not be less than the lowest of the three largest private charter-party carriers operating similar service in the district. For any charter service between points within the district, the district may establish a lower minimum charge.
The designation “three largest private charter-party carriers” refers to the three carriers with the highest gross revenue generated from charter service originating within the district.
(d)
A charter trip shall have its origin within the district, and the return trip shall have its destination within the district, unless the district is requested by a private charter-party carrier to provide a trip not having origin and return destination within the district.