{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-281.635","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 281.635","heading":"Cities may authorize operation of buses -- Certificates -- City's authority","body":"over buses -- Appeal -- Concurrent power of certain local governments over\ncertified carriers -- Exemption for human service transportation delivery\nvehicles.\nNotwithstanding anything contained in this chapter:\n(1) All cities of the Commonwealth are vested with the power to grant authorization for\nthe operation of buses over their streets and highways. Upon acquiring\nauthorization, the holder of the authorization shall apply to the Department of\nVehicle Regulation for a bus certificate.\n(2) The governing body of any city in the Commonwealth in which city buses operate\nshall have supervisory and regulatory power over such buses, while operating in the\ncity, and shall have autho rity to enforce all ordinances or regulations pertaining to\nroutes, services, time schedules, and operation of the buses and the drivers thereof,\nbut any interested party may appeal to the department from any action, finding, or\norder of any city within th irty (30) days after the entry of the action, finding, or\norder, and a hearing shall be held in accordance with KRS 281.640; however, any\naction, finding, or order of any city shall be sustained if there is substantial evidence\nor reason to support it; oth erwise the department shall make the orders as it deems\nnecessary and proper. However, where a carrier's entire operation is confined to\nintracity transportation within the corporate limits of a single city, there shall be no\nappeal to the department from the actions, findings, or orders of the city. Provided\nfurther, that where any city bus is subject to the regulatory powers of more than one\n(1) city and the regulations are in conflict or such as to impede the transportation\nfacilities serving the cities,  or the carrier is failing to furnish safe, adequate and\nconvenient service to the public, the department may, upon complaint or on its own\ninitiative, call a hearing and enter orders as are necessary and proper.\n(3) The governing body of any city of the first class, a city with a population equal to or\ngreater than twenty thousand (20,000) based upon the most recent federal decennial\ncensus, and the city's suburban area, or the corporate limits of any city and its\nsuburban area located in a county which co ntains a city of the first class, a city with\na population equal to or greater than twenty thousand (20,000) based upon the most\nrecent federal decennial census, or an urban -county government, in the\nCommonwealth in which taxicabs, limousines, or disabled persons vehicles operate\nshall have concurrent supervisory and regulatory power over those certified carriers\noperating from the city, and shall have authority to enforce all ordinances or\nregulations pertaining to their operation, but any interested party  may appeal to the\ndepartment from any action, finding, or order of any city within thirty (30) days\nafter the entry of the action, finding, or order, and a hearing shall be held in\naccordance with KRS 281.640; however, any action, finding, or order of any  city\nshall be sustained if there is substantial evidence or reason to support it; otherwise,\nthe department shall make any orders that it deems necessary and proper. Where any\ntaxicab, limousine, or disabled persons vehicle carrier is subject to the regul atory\npowers of more than one (1) city and the regulations of those cities are in conflict or\nimpede serving the transportation needs of the Commonwealth, the department\nmay, upon complaint or on its own initiative, call a hearing and enter orders as are\nnecessary and proper, including establishing or requiring the establishment of\nuniform regulations.\n(4) The governing body of any city of the first class, a city with a population equal to or\ngreater than twenty thousand (20,000) based upon the most recent federal decennial\ncensus, and the city's suburban area, or the corporate limits of any city and its\nsuburban area located in a county which contains a city of the first class, a city with\na population equal to or greater than twenty thousand (20,000) based  upon the most\nrecent federal decennial census, or an urban -county government, in the\nCommonwealth is hereby vested with the concurrent power to prescribe the\nqualifications with respect to the health, vision, sobriety, intelligence, ability, moral\ncharacter, and experience of the drivers of taxicabs, limousines, or disabled persons\nvehicles operating from the city, and while operating in the city, and may issue\npermits for qualified drivers. However, any taxicab, limousine, disabled persons\nvehicle, or TNC  vehicle driver must also possess a valid operator's license from\nKentucky or another jurisdiction.\n(5) The governing body of a city shall not have authority over a motor vehicle that is\nbeing operated as a human service transportation delivery vehicle und er a contract\nwith the Transportation Cabinet in accordance with KRS 96A.095(4).","path":["KRS Chapter 281"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44162","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:53:33Z","sha256":"4df5a8428829f69142644a2309a685f1ceb7136832589e1cd1ad3413ad46908a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-281.634","next":"us-ky/krs-281.637"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}