Effective 28 Aug 1996

387.190. Division of motor carrier and railroad safety may fix reasonable rates and charges. — 1. Whenever the division of motor carrier and railroad safety shall be of the opinion, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint, that the rates, fares or charges demanded, exacted, charged or collected by any motor carrier for the transportation of persons or household goods within the state, or that the regulations or practices of such motor carrier affecting such rates are unjust, unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential, or in any wise in violation of any provisions of law, or that the maximum rates, fares or charges, chargeable by any such motor carrier are insufficient to yield reasonable compensation for the service rendered, and are unjust and unreasonable, the division shall, with due regard, among other things, to a reasonable average return upon the value of the household goods actually used in the public service and to the necessity of making reservation out of income for surplus and contingencies, determine the just and reasonable rates, fares and charges to be thereafter observed and in force as the maximum to be charged for the service to be performed, notwithstanding that a higher rate, fare or charge has been heretofore authorized by statute, and shall fix the same by order to be served upon all motor carriers by whom such rates, fares and charges are thereafter to be observed.

2. Whenever the division shall be of the opinion, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint, that the rates, fares or charges demanded, exacted, charged or collected by any motor carrier for excursion, school or family commutation, commutation passenger tickets, half-fare tickets for the transportation of children under twelve years of age, or any other form of reduced rate tickets for the transportation of persons within the state, or joint interchangeable mileage tickets, with special privileges as to the amount of free baggage that may be carried under mileage tickets of one thousand miles or more within the state, or that the regulations or practices of such motor carrier affecting such rates are unjust, unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential, or in any wise in violation of any provision of law, or that the maximum rates, fares or charges collected or charged for any of such forms of reduced fare passenger transportation tickets by any such motor carrier are insufficient to yield reasonable compensation for the service rendered, and are unjust and unreasonable the division shall, with due regard, among other things, to a reasonable average return upon the value of the household goods actually used in the public service and to the necessity of making reservation out of income for surplus and contingencies, determine the just and reasonable rates, fares and charges to be thereafter observed and enforced as the maximum to be charged for such mileage, excursion, school or family commutation, half-fare or any other form of reduced fare tickets for the transportation of persons, or joint interchangeable mileage tickets with special privileges as aforesaid, and shall order the sale and use thereof to be restored, of any of the kinds of tickets herein specified or any other form of reduced rate ticket for the transportation of persons within the state and shall determine and prescribe the reasonable and just rates, fares and charges to be thereafter observed and enforced as the maximum to be charged for any such form of ticket or tickets for the transportation of persons within this state, all of which laws fixing such rates, fares and charges or requiring the restoration of, sale and use of any of such forms of ticket or tickets, shall be by order to be served upon all motor carriers by whom such rates, fares and charges or restoration of, sale or use of, such ticket or tickets are thereafter to be observed.

3. Whenever the division shall be of the opinion, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint, that the regulations, practices, equipment, appliances or service of any such motor carrier in respect to transportation of persons or household goods within this state are unjust, unreasonable, unsafe, improper or inadequate, the division shall determine the just, reasonable, safe, adequate and proper regulations, practices, equipment, appliances and service thereafter to be in force, to be observed and to be used in such transportation of persons and household goods and so fix and prescribe the same by order to be served upon every motor carrier to be bound thereby; and thereafter it shall be the duty of every motor carrier to observe and obey each and every requirement of every such order so served upon it, and to do everything necessary or proper in order to secure absolute compliance with and observance of every such order by all of its officers, agents and employees.

4. The division shall have power to require, by order, any two or more motor carriers, whose lines, owned, operated, controlled or leased, form a continuous or connecting line of transportation by transfer of household goods or passengers at connecting points, to establish through rates and joint rates, fares and charges for the transportation of passengers and household goods within the state as the division may, by its order, designate; and in case such through rates, and joint rates be not established by the motor carriers named in any such order within the time therein specified, the division shall establish just and reasonable rates, fares and charges, to be charged for such through transportation, and declare the portions thereof to which each motor carrier affected thereby shall be entitled and the manner in which the same shall be paid and secured; and the division shall also have power in the same proceeding, or in a separate proceeding involving any rates, fares or charges, to prescribe joint rates and fares and charges as the maximum to be exacted for the transportation by them of passengers and household goods within the state, and to require such motor carriers affected thereby to make within a specified time an agreement between them as to the portion of such joint rates, fares or charges to which each of them shall be entitled; and in case such agreement be not so made within the time so specified the division may declare by supplemental order the portion thereof to which each motor carrier affected thereby shall be entitled and the manner in which the same shall be paid and secured; such supplemental order shall take effect as part of the original order from the time such supplemental order shall become effective.

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(RSMo 1939 § 5623, A.L. 1996 S.B. 780)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 5167; 1919 § 10456