Bill Text: NJ S2147 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for establishment, by NJT and its contract carriers, of customer feedback response programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-28 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2147 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S2147-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JENNIFER BECK
District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Provides for establishment, by NJT and its contract carriers, of customer feedback response programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning customer service provided by or with the support of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, supplementing P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The corporation shall establish and maintain a customer feedback response program under which a member of the public may relay to the corporation any complaint, concern, suggestion, or question regarding the public transportation service or public accommodation provided on any capital equipment or in any facility owned and operated by the corporation. To enable the relay of such complaints, concerns, suggestions, and questions under the program, the corporation shall establish and maintain (1) a 24-hour toll-free telephone hotline, (2) an e-mail address link through the corporation's website, and (3) a specific U.S. mailing address, which may be a Post Office Box address.
b. The corporation shall inform the public of the availability of the customer feedback response program by means of a notice inviting members of the public to submit their complaints, concerns, suggestions, or questions to the corporation and including the number of the toll-free telephone hotline, the Internet address of the corporation's website, and the U.S. mailing address for receiving customer communications under the program. Such notice shall be:
(1) Displayed on a sign prominently posted within each rail car, motorbus, or other piece of capital equipment owned and operated by the corporation and used as a passenger conveyance to provide public transportation service, within any passenger station or terminal owned and operated by the corporation, and on the wall of any bus or light rail shelter owned or leased by the corporation for the use of its customers; and
(2) Imprinted on any ticket issued by the corporation that entitles the bearer to public transportation service.
c. Upon receipt of any communication relayed by a member of the public under the customer feedback response program, the corporation shall respond to that communication within three business days, in the case of communications received by telephone or e-mail, or 14 business days, in the case of communications received by U.S. mail.
2. a. Any public or private entity providing any public transportation service under any contract with the corporation, including but not limited to a contract for the sale or lease by the corporation to the entity of any capital equipment or facilities for use in the provision of that service, shall, as a condition of that contract, establish and maintain a customer feedback response program as described in subsection a. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The entity shall inform the public of the availability of this program by means of a notice displayed on signs posted on capital equipment and in facilities operated by the entity to provide public transportation service, and imprinted on tickets issued by the entity that entitle the bearer to public transportation service, in the same manner as prescribed for provision of such notices by the corporation under subsection b. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (c. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill). The entity shall respond to communications relayed by the public under the program in accordance with the schedule prescribed for response by the corporation to such communications under subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (c. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. Any public or private entity required to establish and maintain a customer feedback response program under the provisions of subsection a. of this section shall, not later than the 10th day of each calendar month, submit to the corporation a report of communications received under the program, the amount of time taken to respond to those communications, and, when applicable, a description of how the issue raised by any particular communication was resolved or otherwise addressed.
3. This bill shall take effect immediately; section 2 shall be applicable to entities providing public transportation service under any contract with the corporation executed or renewed after the effective date of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT) to establish and maintain a customer feedback response program under which members of the public can forward complaints, concerns, suggestions, or questions regarding the public transportation service or public accommodation that NJT provides. To enable the relay of these complaints, concerns, suggestions and questions, the bill requires the corporation to maintain (1) a 24-hour toll-free telephone hotline, (2) an e-mail address link through the corporation's website, and (3) a specific U.S. mailing address.
The bill directs NJT to post notices of the program, including contact information, on signs posted in NJT rail cars, motorbuses, and other passenger conveyance equipment, within NJT passenger stations and terminals, and on bus or light rail shelters owned or leased by the corporation for the use of its customers. Notices would also be imprinted on any NJT-issued ticket for transportation service.
The bill specifies periods of time within which NJT must respond to communications from the public under the program.
Finally, the bill requires private carriers providing public transportation service under contract with NJT to establish their own customer feedback response programs of the same kind prescribed under the bill for NJT itself.
