Comedy Bus City Tours is hoping to bring its shows to the roads of Newport.
Comedy Bus LLC, based in North Providence, has applied to the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities & Carriers to run a Jitney Service in Newport.
According to Rhode Island General Laws 39-13, Jitney means and includes any motor bus or other public-service motor vehicle operated in whole or in part upon any street or highway in such manner as to afford a means of transportation similar to that afforded by a street railway company, by indiscriminately receiving or discharging passengers; or running on a regular route or over any portion thereof; or between fixed termini.
Described as “a live stand-up comedy show on wheels”, Comedy Bus City Tours currently offers tours in Providence.
On its website, the company describes its tours in Providence as, “Enjoy everything Providence has to offer aboard the Comedy Bus! Our 90-minute R-Rated comedy tour is delivered by the best comics around! Bring your own beer and wine, or purchase some along the route! This tour features a short stop at a local restaurant or brewery.”
Tickets for a City Tour in Providence are currently listed for $39.95 per person, while a Brunch Tour is listed for $79.95.
In an email, the company tells the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities & Carriers that it plans to operate in Newport “from April – November. Monday – Thursday between 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm”.
The company provided the following two maps of the route that they plan to take in Newport.
At their Regular Council Meeting on Wednesday, May 8, members of Newport City Council will officially receive communication from Melissa Daley, Motor Carrier Clerk at the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities & Carriers, regarding a Notice of Public Hearing on Thursday, May 9, at 10 am regarding the application.
At least two Newport City Councilors are already opposed to the idea. Councilor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano and Councilor David R. Carlin III will introduce a resolution later in the Regular Council Meeting opposing the tour.
The resolution states;
WHEREAS, The City of Newport has been notified of a Public Utilities Hearing on May 9th at 10:00 am in Warwick, Rhode Island, to request licensing of a jitney (bus) route for a traveling comedy who which includes routes throughout Newport including those zoned residential; AND
WHEREAS, Upon receipt of permission from the Public Utility Commission, the licensee will then request from the City of Newport both a liquor and entertainment license ot be used during travel throughout neighborhoods accompanied by a comedic narrative for their customers; AND
WHEREAS, The City of Newport has an explicit ordinance prohibiting this type of activitiy, commonly refer to as a “pub crawl” due to an unfortunate and deadly accident in 2002; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED: that this described activity should not be allowed, as it would be in direct violation of Newport’ ordinances and deprive neighborhoods and citizens of their norman enjoyment of properties throughout the summer months.
Rhode Island General Law 39-13-5. “Hearing on application for certificate” details the process the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities & Carriers must take;
Upon receipt of an application, the division shall fix a time and place of a hearing thereon and shall give notice of the pendency of the application and of the time and place of the hearing thereon to the applicant, to the mayor of each city and the president of the town council of each town in or through which the applicant desires to operate, and to any common carrier operating over any portion of a route or over a route substantially parallel thereto, and shall give a public hearing upon the petition. Any town or city within which or between which, and any other town or city to which a common carrier is furnishing service, may, at any time after the certificate of public convenience and necessity has been issued, bring a written petition to the division in respect to routes, fares, speed, schedules, continuity of service, and the convenience and safety of passengers and the public. Thereupon, the division shall fix a time and place for a hearing upon the petition and shall mail a notice thereof to the parties in interest and give such other notice thereof as the division may deem proper by advertisement. The division may revoke or amend any certificate.
Comedy Bus City Tours currently lists Newport as “coming soon” on its website and is promoting the tours as coming soon to Newport.
The last thing Newport needs, especially as we deal with the additional traffic from the bridge failure in Providence and the bridge realignment in Newport, is another tour bus rolling slowly down the already congested arteries of the city, and especially down quiet residential streets per this proposed route. Bellevue is bad enough, but to propose a route down Coggeshall is obscene. As they’llnlikely only be frequenting one business in town and with the express intention of getting loaded, this proposal only takes from Newport and does not make for any benefit to residents or businesses.