(1) A passenger transportation company must ensure that all vehicles and drivers used to provide passenger transportation services under the authority of the company's certificate comply with all federal, state, local laws and rules, and commission orders, governing licensing, vehicle safety, and driver safety. Except for vehicles with a seating capacity of eight or fewer passengers (including the driver) and the drivers of those vehicles, in which case the company must comply with the requirements in WAC 480-30-222, companies must also comply with the parts of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (49 C.F.R.), adopted by reference, that are shown in the following chart. Information about 49 C.F.R., including the version adopted by the commission and where to obtain copies is set out in WAC 480-30-999.

(2) Companies must: Ensure that all motor vehicles used to provide certificated service are maintained in a safe and sanitary condition and are free of defects likely to result in an accident or breakdown.

(3) No company, its agents, contractors, officers, or employees will allow any animal, article, commodity, or substance to be loaded in or on any motor vehicle used by the company to provide certificated services to transport passengers that is dangerous to the lives and safety of passengers.

(4) No company, its agents, contractors, officers, or employees will allow any article, commodity, or substance to be loaded in or on any motor vehicle used by the company to provide certificated services to transport passengers that is prohibited by the hazardous materials rules in Title 49 C.F.R. from being transported on passenger-carrying vehicles.

(5) All motor vehicles and drivers operating under the provisions of this chapter and used to provide certificated services are subject to inspection by the commission or its duly authorized representatives at all times.

(6) All motor vehicles must be equipped with fenders, covers, mud flaps, or splash aprons which effectively reduce the spray or splash of water from the road. All such devices must be as wide as the tires on which they are mounted, and must extend from the top of the tires down to at least the center of the axle.

(a) The commission will place out-of-service a motor vehicle with safety defects identified in the North American Uniform Out-of-Service Criteria. A carrier must not require or permit a driver to operate a vehicle placed out-of-service until all out-of-service violations have been satisfactorily repaired so that no violation(s) exists.

(b) The commission will place out-of-service a driver who operates a motor vehicle subject to an out-of-service order. No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle subject to an out-of-service order until all repairs required by the out-of-service order have been satisfactorily repaired. A driver subject to an out-of-service order shall not operate a commercial motor vehicle until the reason for the out-of-service order has been remedied.

(c) Information about the North American Uniform Out-of-Service Criteria is set out in WAC 480-30-999.