Proposed Agency Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register Notice
August 16, 1996
Volume 61, Number 160

AGENCY: Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces that a data collection, Motor Carrier Quarterly and Annual Report Form MP-1, is coming up for renewal. In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Pub. L. 104-13), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the general public, industry, and other Federal agencies to comment on the continuing need and usefulness of BTS collecting quarterly financial data from Class I motor carriers of passengers.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by October 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to OMB Control No. 2139-0003 in any correspondence. Send comments to: David Mednick, K-10, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Comments may be submitted by Fax to: (202) 366-3640. Comments may also be submitted electronically by e-mail to: david.mednick@bts.gov. Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.

Commenters wishing BTS to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: Comments on OMB Control No. 2139-0003. The postcard will be dated/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Mednick, K-10, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-8871, Fax: (202) 366-3640, e-mail: david.mednick@bts.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The Data Collection

Title: Motor Carrier Quarterly and Annual Report Form MP-1, Motor Carriers of Passengers. OMB Control No. 2139-0003.

Form No.: BTS Form MP-1.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Class I Motor Carriers of Passengers.

Number of Respondents: 26.

Estimated Time Per Response: 90 minutes.

Total Annual Burden: 156 hours.

Needs and Uses: This data collection form was transferred from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the Department of Transportation (DOT) on January 1, 1996, by the ICC Termination Act of 1995. The OMB Control number while under the ICC was 3120-0021. Pursuant to14 U.S.C. 14123, DOT is required to collect annual financial reports from Class I motor carriers. DOT may also require motor carriers to file quarterly reports. In determining the matters to be covered by the reports, DOT must consider: (1) Safety needs; (2) the need to preserve confidential business information and trade secrets and prevent competitive harm; (3) private sector, academic, and public use of information in the reports; and (4) the public interest. BTS wishes to continue to provide periodic information on the health of the motor carrier of passengers industry, its impact on the economy, and the economy's impact on the industry. The current report accomplishes this with minimal data items to be completed quarterly.

II. Request for Comments

BTS requests comments concerning the information collection, including whether (a) the reports are needed by BTS to fulfill its legal mandate under 14 U.S.C. 14123 to collect financial data from motor carriers; (b) BTS accurately estimated the reporting burden; (c) there are other ways to enhance the quality, utility, or clarity of the information collected; and (d) there are ways to minimize reporting burden, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

T.R. Lakshmanan,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

[FR Doc. 96-20894 Filed 8-15-96; 8:45 am]

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