HARRISBURG, Pa. An 18-month effort by the Pennsylvania Bus Association to exempt buses and motorcoaches from oversight by the Philadelphia Parking Authority has come up aces.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed legislation last month that exempts vehicles with a capacity of more than 16 passengers from oversight by the parking authority, which primarily regulates limousines and taxicabs in the city.

"The Pennsylvania Bus Association has been very involved with efforts to exempt buses from the Philadelphia Parking Authoritys oversight, particularly since new PPA regulations were published in December of last year," said Pennsylvania Bus Association Executive Director Elaine Farrell.

"Through meetings and conversations with Dennis Weldon (an attorney representing the parking authority), we were able to forge a very productive relationship and do what is right for the motorcoach industry -- exempt buses," Farrell added.

The issue of parking authority oversight of buses and motorcoaches coming into Philadelphia goes back eight years, when the state legislature adopted a law that switched over authority of taxis and limousines operating in Philadelphia from the state Public Utility Commission to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

Politics, no less, was involved in the change.

Because of the way "limousine service" was written in the new law, there was no exemption for buses.

After the parking authority issued operating regulations in 2005, they were declared void because they were never printed in a legal publication for public comment. In January 2011, a proposed rulemaking was legally published, even though the issue had found its way into the courts.

The Pennsylvania Bus Association got very involved after the new rulemaking was published, responding to the proposal. At the same time, the associations attorney, lobbyist and Farrell began a series of meetings with officials from the parking authority and the state Public Utilities Commission.

In the view of parking authority and PUC officials legislative action would be needed to win an exemption for buses.

So, the Pennsylvania Bus Association initiated a lobbying effort last fall, culminating in House Bill 2390 that exempted buses from parking authority oversight.

Had the legislature not acted, bus operators traveling within Philadelphia would have had to jump through new paperwork hoops, including paying a one-time $15 registration fee, and have to submit an insurance certificate, loss history and PUC certificate from their home state.

"The bus exemption in HB 2390 completely eliminates any need for bus owners going into Philadelphia from paying a registration fee, submitting the required documents, and the like," said Farrell.

"This was the final step in exempting buses permanently from under the control of the Philadelphia Parking Authority and back under the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission."

Farrell also noted that "99 percent" of the bill exempting buses dealt with taxi and limousine issues. "We appreciate the Philadelphia Parking Authoritys generosity in allowing us to be a part of this bill to exempt buses," she said.