Rhode Island General Laws Title 39. Public Utilities and Carriers § 39-13-6. Jitney operation by railroad or street railway company

(a) Any street railway company incorporated under the laws of this state and operating a street railway within this state or any railroad company incorporated under the laws of this state and operating a railroad in this state may acquire, own, and operate jitneys, subject to the provisions of this chapter and to all other laws relating to the registration, licensing, bonding, and operating of jitneys.

(b) No street railway company shall substitute for any existing trolley service, jitney service over a route over and along the same highway occupied by a line of street or other railway, or over a route that will serve the same or nearly the same communities served by a line of street or other railway, until the division shall, after due notice to the towns and cities affected thereby and a public hearing thereon, if it appears that the public interest will be served thereby, have authorized a substitution of service; and the street railway company shall thereafter continue the jitney service until, after like notice and hearing and for cause shown, the division shall have authorized the abandonment thereof.