May 5, 2000

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today the first of seven public hearings for interested persons to present comments and views concerning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) proposed revisions to its hours-of-service regulations.

The FMCSA is encouraging all interested parties to submit comments to the public docket. The agency hopes to hear from the public about how the proposed hours-of-service regulations would improve motor carrier safety, affect the personal, professional, and family life of truck and bus drivers, and the impact on the various segments of the motor carrier industry.

The first of seven sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 31 and Thursday, June 1, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the:

U.S. Department of Transportation

400 Seventh St., SW., Room 2230

Washington, D.C. 20590-0001

The dates, times, and specific locations for sessions 2 through 7 will be announced in the near future and will be held at sites convenient for truck and bus/motorcoach parking in Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; and in the Springfield, MA/Hartford, CT area.

Written comments on this proposal should be sent no later than July 31, 2000 to the USDOT Docket Facility, Attn: Docket FMCSA-97-2350, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

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