No public utility shall discontinue, curtail or abandon any service without obtaining permission from the board after notice. The board may withhold permission until after hearing to determine if the discontinuance, curtailment or abandonment will adversely affect public convenience and necessity. With respect to common carriers the provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to service operated in accordance with base schedules on file with the board; provided, however, that the State Highway Commissioner upon entering into a contract for passenger service pursuant to chapter 66 of the laws of 1960, as amended and supplemented, may, without approval of the board, authorize a discontinuance, curtailment, abandonment or change in passenger service, which discontinuance, curtailment, abandonment or change in service shall exist only during the term of said contract.

A public utility may terminate service for a violation of the terms of its approved tariffs on file with the Board of Public Utility Commissioners upon giving the customer at least 3 days’ notice of such termination unless otherwise provided for by rules, regulations or orders of the board, except that in those situations where a hazardous condition prevails the utility may terminate service without notice.

If any public utility shall discontinue, curtail or abandon service and the board after hearing upon notice shall find and determine that service should be resumed, the board may order that service be resumed forthwith or on such date as it may fix.

Amended by L.1959, c. 55, p. 163, s. 1; L.1962, c. 198, s. 16; L.1964, c. 58, s. 1.