SECTIONS 556-562 - California Statutes

PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE

SECTION 556-562

556. Every common carrier shall afford all reasonable, proper, and
equal facilities for the prompt and efficient interchange and
transfer of passengers between the lines owned, operated, controlled,
or leased by it and the lines of every other common carrier, and
shall make such interchange and transfer promptly without
discrimination between passengers or carriers as to compensation
charged, service rendered, or facilities afforded.

558. Every telephone corporation and telegraph corporation
operating in this State shall receive, transmit, and deliver, without
discrimination or delay, the conversations and messages of every
other such corporation with whose line a physical connection has been
made.

559. (a) Nothing in Sections 556 to 558, inclusive, shall limit or
modify the duty of a common carrier to establish joint rates, fares,
and charges for the transportation of passengers and property over
the lines owned, operated, controlled, or leased by it and the lines
of other common carriers, or the power of the commission to require
the establishment of such joint rates, fares, and charges.
(b) Subdivision (a) is not applicable to network railroad
transportation.

560. Upon the application of any shipper or receiver or
contemplated shipper or receiver of freight for a connection between
the railroad of a railroad corporation and its existing or
contemplated private track or railroad, the railroad corporation
shall make the connection, provide such switches and tracks as may be
necessary for that purpose, and deliver and receive cars thereover,
if the connection is reasonably practicable and can be installed and
used without materially increasing the hazard of the operation of the
railroad with which the connection is sought, and if the business
which may reasonably be expected to be received by the railroad
corporation over the connection is sufficient to justify the expense
of the connection to the railroad corporation.
Upon the same conditions, every railroad corporation, upon the
application of any shipper or receiver or contemplated shipper or
receiver of freight, shall construct upon its right of way a spur or
spurs for the purpose of receiving and delivering freight thereby,
and shall receive and deliver freight thereby.

561. (a) Every railroad corporation, passenger stage corporation,
passenger air carrier, and street railroad corporation providing
departures originating in this state shall prohibit the smoking of
any tobacco product in the passenger seating area of every passenger
car, passenger stage, aircraft, or other vehicle.
(b) Every such corporation and carrier shall display in the
passenger seating area of every passenger car, passenger stage,
aircraft, or other vehicle, notices sufficient in number, posted in
such locations as to be readily seen by boarding passengers, advising
passengers of the no smoking requirements pursuant to subdivision
(a). Words on such notices which state "No Smoking" or an equivalent
phrase shall be at least three-quarters of one inch high, and any
other explanatory words on the notices shall be at least one-quarter
of an inch high.
(c) No person shall smoke any tobacco product in a space known by
him or her to be designated for nonsmoking passengers. A violation of
this subdivision is not a crime.
(d) As used in this section, "passenger air carrier" shall have
the same meaning as provided in Sections 2741 and 2743.

562. (a) Whenever the commission, on its own motion or upon the
complaint of a public utility, finds that public convenience and
necessity require the use by a public utility of all, or any part, of
the passenger vessel terminal facilities operated or controlled by
the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, and the
district and the public utility are unable to agree upon the use or
the terms and conditions or compensation therefor, the commission
shall by order direct that the use by the public utility be
permitted, and prescribe a reasonable compensation and reasonable
terms and conditions to be charged and observed, including, but not
limited to, all related costs of construction, capital improvement,
leasing or rental, and maintenance.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 27280 of the Streets and Highways Code
or any other provision of law, and for purposes of this section
only, the passenger vessel service of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway
and Transportation District is subject to the jurisdiction of the
commission and the provisions of this part. The commission shall have
no jurisdiction over the operation of passenger vessels by the
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District or any other
operation of the district except as specifically provided in this
section.
(c) The commission shall require that any public utility which
provides passenger-ferry or other transportation service for the
district first obtain a certificate of public convenience and
necessity authorizing such operations.
(d) Any public utility which initiates any complaint pursuant to
this section shall reimburse the commission for its reasonable
expenses in hearing and determining the complaint.
(e) The commission may establish such rules as it determines
necessary to carry out this section.