(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, make, alter or repeal regulations governing the inspection, registration, operation and maintenance of school buses and the licensing of the operators of such vehicles. Such regulations shall incorporate the requirements of 49 C.F.R. § 383.123 regarding the qualifications of each applicant for an endorsement to operate a school bus, issued in accordance with the provisions of § 14-44.

(b) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, governing (1) the inspection, registration, operation and maintenance of motor vehicles used by any carrier to transport students, and (2) the licensing of operators of such vehicles. A person who has attained the age of seventy shall be allowed to hold a license endorsement to operate a student transportation vehicle provided such person meets the minimum physical requirements set by the commissioner and agrees to submit to a physical examination by a medical examiner, certified in accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 390.109, at least annually or more frequently if directed to do so by such medical examiner or the superintendent of the school system in which such person intends to operate such vehicle.

(c) Any person who violates a provision of any regulation adopted pursuant to this section shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction, and for each subsequent offense shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars.

(d) Any carrier that violates a provision of any regulation adopted pursuant to this section with respect to the following shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five hundred dollars for each violation or each occurrence: (1) Failure to inspect, maintain or repair a school bus or motor vehicle used to transport students, on a schedule established by the commissioner; (2) failure to make, retain or make available for inspection by the department any record required by such regulations to be made, retained or made available for inspection; (3) refusal to allow the department to inspect any school bus or motor vehicle used to transport students; (4) removal of an out-of-service sticker placed on any such school bus or motor vehicle before repairs to such vehicle have been satisfactorily completed; (5) failure to inspect or repair a vehicle defect reported by a driver on a driver’s vehicle inspection report; and (6) failure to require a driver to prepare and submit a driver’s vehicle inspection report for each such school bus or motor vehicle operated by such driver.