Requires certain buses and trucks to be equipped with commercial GPS devices.
Summary
This bill would amend New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law to require every bus, omnibus, and commercial truck operating on the state’s public highways to be equipped with a commercial GPS device. The device must be capable of storing the vehicle’s dimensions and weight, and it must provide routing that takes into account commercial vehicle restrictions such as bridge heights, clearances, load limits, one-way streets, and left-turn or other dangerous-turn restrictions.
The GPS device would have to be maintained in good working order and mounted in a location that is readily accessible for use. The bill would take effect 90 days after becoming law, with immediate authorization for any necessary implementing regulations.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would add a new safety and routing equipment requirement to Section 375 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. It would directly affect operators of buses, omnibuses, and commercial trucks by mandating the use of specialized commercial navigation technology rather than ordinary consumer GPS devices. The measure is intended to reduce routing errors, vehicle strikes, and other incidents caused by drivers following routes that are unsafe or unsuitable for large vehicles.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote history, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented debate to gauge support or criticism. Based on the bill’s purpose and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a transportation safety and compliance proposal aimed at helping commercial drivers avoid hazardous routes.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, if raised in future debate, could include the cost of purchasing and maintaining commercial GPS devices, the burden on small trucking operators and bus companies, and questions about whether existing navigation systems already provide similar functionality. However, none of these concerns are reflected in the current record.
Requires slow-moving traffic, trucks, buses, and other certain vehicles use the right two lanes of a multilane roadway and requires all lanes other than the right most two lanes on a multilane highway to be marked with "NO TRUCKS OR BUSES".