Transportation Regulation & Legislation to Watch in 2024

Transportation attorney Anita Mosner was recently quoted by Law360 in an article on the 2024 regulations addressing air travel, autonomous vehicles, rail service and ongoing implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This article discusses the Biden Administration's rollout of infrastructure funding, electric vehicle initiatives and emissions-curbing measures for cars and trucks, as well as Congress's new safety regulations following recent air traffic control snafus and the derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials in Ohio. She commented that some of these provisions overlap with the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to draft regulations addressing these same issues.

"There's this complete focus on consumer regulation in the industry, some of which I believe to be misguided or well-intentioned, but with unintended consequences," Ms. Mosner explained. "With some of these rulemakings, the pendulum has swung too far, and it's going to be very difficult for carriers to comply."

She added that airlines already disclose ancillary fees for flight changes or cancellations, so crafting a new rule may not be the most effective approach.

"I really think that carriers have every incentive to do the best they can for their consumers, and that in many cases — particularly, on the transparency of ancillary fees — the carrier practices have well-outstripped the need for regulation in terms of the ability to understand what seat is available and what's being sold," she said. "No airline benefits if a customer is unhappy."

READ: Transportation Regulation & Legislation to Watch in 2024