Certificate of public convenience and necessity; penalties

48:4-3. a. No autobus, charter bus operation or special bus operation which is engaged, wholly or partly, in intrastate commerce shall be operated or run while carrying passengers for hire within the State of New Jersey unless there is in force with respect to such operation a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission authorizing such operation upon a determination that such operation is in the public interest. b. Any person who owns or causes to be operated or operates an autobus without a valid certificate of public convenience and necessity or in violation of the provisions thereof is subject to a civil penalty of: $500 for the first violation, $750 for the second violation, and $1,000 for the third and each subsequent violation. Every day upon which a violation occurs shall be considered a separate violation. c. When any person violates the provisions of this section on more than one occasion, the chief administrator may, by order, after notice and hearing, declare that person to be an unfit operator and cause the revocation of any certificates of public convenience and necessity issued to that person and declare that that person shall have no standing to petition for any further certificates. The chief administrator may stay or revoke any order made under this subsection when the chief administrator finds it to be in the public interest to do so. Amended 1946, c.131; 1973, c.158, s.2; 1987, c.452, s.2; 2007, c.13.