358 ARTICLE 56.

a permit from the Public Service Commission of Maryland, authorizing
the motor vehicle owner to operate on a certain route, to furnish the motor
vehicle owner with a distinguishing plate or marker. No such motor vehi-
cle owner shall change said schedule or route of his motor vehicle during
any year for which a certificate has been issued, without a permit, in writ-
ing, made in duplicate, from the Public Service Commission of Maryland,
a copy of which shall be sent to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles before
said schedule is changed, whereupon a proper readjustment of charges shall
be made upon the basis aforesaid. But nothing in this sub-title shall be
construed to prevent an owner or operator of such regularly licensed vehi-
cles from replacing in an emergency such vehicles by a substitute vehicle
in order to maintain the schedule approved as herein provided, or in an
emergency from operating, temporarily, reserve vehicles on such routes
and schedules, approved as aforesaid for the public accommodation. In
cases where certificates have been issued to such motor vehicle owner for
more than one route, all motor vehicles of the same weight, including
reserve or substitute vehicles, which have been registered for use upon
either or any of said routes, may be used interchangeably upon either or
any of said routes. The operations upon any route may be conducted with
greater frequency than prescribed by the approved schedule without ob-
taining permission therefor from the Public Service Commission, pro-
vided, however, that the approved schedule shall be strictly maintained
and adhered to, until changed with the permission of the Public Service
Commission, and provided, further, that whenever the operations con-
ducted are in excess of those prescribed by the approved schedule, the
motor vehicle owner shall report to the Public Service Commission, on or
before the fifth business day of the succeeding month, the actual number
of miles traveled, and the license number of the motor vehicles operated
upon each route for the preceding month, and shall, at the same time, send
a duplicate of said report to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and pay
to the said Commissioner the difference between the fee charged on the
basis of the approved schedule and the fee chargeable upon the basis of the
actual number of ton-miles traveled; and provided, further, whenever, in
the opinion of the Public Service Commission, it will be prejudicial to the
public welfare and convenience, to permit operations to be conducted upon
any route with greater frequency than prescribed by the approved schedule,
said Commission may limit this privilege in whatever manner it may deem
proper or deny the said privilege altogether, either at the time of the issu-
ance of the permit or at any time thereafter. Seasonal permits may be
granted for a portion of the year, if, in the judgment of the Public Service
Commission, the granting thereof is deemed essential to the public welfare
and convenience, and routes may be changed or abandoned, whenever, in
the opinion of the Public Service Commission, the welfare and conven-
ience of the public will not be prejudiced thereby. In the event any such
motor vehicle owner shall fail to report excess mileage and other informa-
tion, as above provided, or shall change or abandon a route or reduce a
schedule, without first obtaining the permission of the Public Service Com-