[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee (now Council) of the
Township of Jefferson 12-30-1963 by Ord. No. 162
(Ch. 121 of the 1967 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Limousines — See Ch. 309.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Includes any individual, copartnership, association or corporation
or joint-stock company, its lessees, trustees or receivers.
Includes any automobile or motor car, commonly called "taxi," engaged
in the business of carrying passengers for hire which is held out, announced,
or advertised to operate or run or which is operated or run over any of the
streets within the Township of Jefferson and particularly accepts and discharges
such persons as may offer themselves for transportation from points or places
within or without said Township, providing that nothing herein contained shall
be construed to affect any public conveyance which is by law subject to state
and/or federal regulation exclusively.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, no person shall pick
up for hire any persons for any taxicab within the Township of Jefferson unless
both the taxicab and driver thereof are licensed pursuant to the terms of
this chapter and conform to all the provisions thereof.
Every applicant for a taxicab license shall make application therefor
on forms furnished by the Township Clerk, and the same shall be completed
and verified under oath and filed with said Township Clerk. Each application
shall set forth the full name and address of the owner, lessee or bailee of
the taxicab to be licensed; the make and character of the taxicab; the full
length of time it has been in use; the number of persons said vehicle is suitable
for carrying; the motor number; the serial number of said vehicle, the then
present value of said vehicle; and the place where it may be inspected by
the Township Council or its duly authorized representative. Said application
shall also set forth a complete schedule of the rates to be charged all passengers;
said rates shall be posted in said taxicab in clear view of all passengers,
and said application shall also indicate whether said taxicab will have a
meter located therein. Any person charging in excess of said posted rate shall
be guilty of a violation of this chapter.
The Chief of Police or a member of the Police Department designated
by him shall conduct an investigation of each applicant for a taxicab license
and make a report of such investigation, and a copy of the traffic and police
record of said applicant, if any, shall be attached to the application.
[Amended 4-4-1977 by Ord. No. 7-77]
No taxicab license or taxicab driver's license shall be issued:
A.
To an individual who is not a citizen of the United States
or who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude and is less
than 18 of age.
B.
To a copartnership unless all the members thereof are
citizens of the United States and none of whom have been convicted of a crime
involving moral turpitude and none of whom is less than 18 years of age.
C.
To the applicant for a taxicab driver's license unless
he shall submit a certificate from a licensed physician of the State of New
Jersey at the applicant's expense, certifying that the applicant has been
examined within the preceding 30 days and that he has no infirmity of body
or mind which might render him unfit for the safe operation of a taxicab.
D.
To a corporation unless each of the officers, directors
and stockholders thereof is a citizen of the United States and none of whom
has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude and none of whom is
less than 18 years of age.
If the Township Council finds that the applicant for a taxicab license
is fit, willing and able to perform such public transportation and to conform
to the provisions of this chapter, then, upon payment of the proper fee by
the applicant, the Township Clerk shall issue a taxicab license stating the
name and address of the applicant, the number and description of vehicles
authorized under such license, the minimum hours of service to be provided,
the approved location of the cab stand and the date of issuance thereof.
If the Township Council finds that the applicant for the driver's license
is fit and conforms to the provisions of this chapter, then upon payment of
the proper fee by the applicant the Township Clerk shall issue a license upon
which shall appear the name, address, age, signature, company employed by
and photograph of applicant.
The Township Council shall, after consideration of the application for
a taxicab driver's license and the reports and certificate required to be
attached thereon, approve or reject the application for a taxicab driver's
license. If the application for a taxicab driver's license is rejected, the
applicant, within 30 days, may request a personal appearance before the Township
Council to offer evidence why his application should be reconsidered. The
Township Council may refuse to grant or renew a taxicab driver's license in
the case of any applicant:
A.
Whose state automobile driver's license or permit to
operate a taxicab has been suspended or revoked.
B.
Who has been convicted of a crime.
C.
Who shall have previously been convicted of driving an
automobile resulting in death to any person.
D.
Who shall have been convicted of driving a motor vehicle
while intoxicated.
E.
Who shall have been convicted of any violations of any
law, state or federal, relating to the use, possession or sale of intoxicating
liquors.
F.
Who shall have been convicted of a violation of any law,
state or federal, relating to prostitution.
G.
Who shall have been convicted of any violation of any
law, state or federal, relating to the use, possession or sale of narcotic
drugs.
H.
Who has been a habitual violator of traffic laws or a
habitual user of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs.
I.
Whenever for just cause the Township Council deems the
applicant for a taxicab driver's license unfit to drive a taxicab.
A.
The annual taxicab license fee shall be $25, and the
license shall be effective for the period from January 1 to December 31 of
each calendar year or part thereof. Taxicab licenses shall expire on December
31. A taxicab license for each calendar year thereafter shall be issued upon
the payment of $25 to the Township Clerk.
B.
The annual taxicab driver's license fee shall be $3,
and the license shall be effective for the period from January 1 to December
31 for each calendar year or part thereof. A taxicab driver's license for
each calendar year thereafter shall be issued upon the payment of $3 unless
the license for the preceding year has been revoked. No driver shall operate
a taxicab for any other owners without securing a new permit.
Every driver licensed under this chapter shall post his driver's license
and photograph of designated size, 2 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches,
in a conspicuous position in plain view of all passengers.
No license shall be sold, assigned, mortgaged or otherwise transferred.
No taxicab license shall be issued until the applicant therefor shall
have filed with the Township Clerk an insurance policy of a company duly licensed
to transact business under the insurance laws of this state with a condition
for the payment of a sum of not less than $50,000, to satisfy all claims for
damages by reason of bodily injury to or the death of any one person resulting
from an accident and a sum of not less than $100,000, to satisfy all claims
for damages by reason of the bodily injuries to or the death of all persons
on account of any such accident by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance
or use of such taxicab; and conditioned for the payment of a sum not less
than $5,000, to satisfy any claim for damages to property of any one person
resulting from an accident and a sum not less than $10,000, to satisfy any
claims for damages to property of all persons on account of any such accident
by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of such taxicab.
Any licenses issued for any such operation of said taxicab thereunder shall
be permitted only so long as said insurance policy shall remain in force in
the full and collectible amounts aforesaid. The insurance policy shall provide
for the payment of any final judgment recovered by any person on account of
the ownership, maintenance or use of the autocab or any fault in respect thereto,
and shall be for the benefit of every person suffering loss, damage or injury
as aforesaid.
No taxicab license shall be issued until the applicant therefor shall have delivered to said Township Clerk, concurrently with the filing of the insurance policy referred to in § 447-12 hereof, a power of attorney executed by said applicant wherein and whereby said applicant shall appoint the Treasurer of the Township of Jefferson his, her of its true and lawful attorney for the purpose of acknowledging service of any process out of a court of competent jurisdiction to be served against the insured by virtue of the indemnity granted under the insurance policy filed and any license for a taxicab issued upon any such application shall continue effective and the operation of any taxicab thereunder shall be permitted only so long as said power of attorney shall remain in effect and unrevoked.
The Township Clerk upon the filing of the required insurance policy shall issue a certificate in duplicate showing that the applicant for the taxicab license has complied with § 447-8. The certificate shall recite the name of the insurance company, the number and date of expiration of the policy, a description of the taxicab insured thereunder, and the registration number of the same. The designated certificate shall be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles before any such vehicle is licensed as a taxicab. The original certificate shall be posted in a conspicuous place within the taxicab.
Every driver of a taxicab shall thoroughly search the interior of such
taxicab at the termination of each trip for any article of value which may
be left in such taxicab by a passenger. Any article found therein shall be
immediately returned to the passenger owning it, if he is known; otherwise,
it shall be deposited with the owner of the cab at the conclusion of the driver's
tour of duty. A written report of the finding and deposit of such article
shall be made by the owner within 24 hours to the Chief of Police, in duplicate.
The driver of each taxicab shall keep a daily record upon which all
trips are recorded, showing time and place of origin and destination of each
trip and amount of fare of all such records shall be retained by the owner
for two years, who shall be responsible for the maintenance of daily records
of all cabs owned by him. The forms for each such record shall be furnished
by the owner and shall be of a character approved by the Township Council
or Chief of Police.
Drivers of taxicabs shall not receive or discharge passengers in the
roadway, but shall pull up to the right-hand sidewalk as nearly as possible,
or in the absence of a sidewalk, to the extreme right-hand side of the road
and there receive or discharge passengers, except upon one-way streets where
passengers may be discharged on either the right- or left-hand sidewalk, or
side of the roadway in the absence of a sidewalk.
No driver shall permit any other person to occupy or ride any said taxicab
unless the person or persons first employing the taxicab shall consent to
the acceptance of additional passenger or passengers.
No driver shall permit more than a maximum number of five adults or
five children to be carried in a taxicab. A child in arms of an adult should
not be counted as a passenger. No driver may refuse or neglect to convey any
orderly person or persons upon their request, unless previously engaged or
unable to or forbidden by the provisions of this chapter to do so.
Every taxicab owner shall operate and render service at least 12 hours
each day of the week between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. However,
this shall not be construed to restrict the taxicab owner from operating additional
hours each day.
All persons engaged in the taxicab business in the Township of Jefferson operating under the provisions of this chapter shall render an overall service to the public desiring to use taxicabs and shall maintain a central place of business and shall keep the same open for at least the minimum hours set forth in § 447-20. They shall answer all calls received by them for services inside the town limits of the Township of Jefferson as soon as they can do so, and if said service cannot be rendered within a reasonable time they shall notify the prospective passenger as to how much longer it will be until the said call can be answered and give the reason therefor. Any holder of a license who shall refuse to accept a call anywhere within the limits of the Township of Jefferson at any time when such holder has taxicabs available or who shall fail or refuse to give overall service shall be deemed to have violated this chapter.
A.
A taxicab license issued under the provisions of this
chapter may be revoked or suspended by the Township Council if the holder
thereof has:
(1)
Failed to operate the licensed vehicle for more than
30 days.
(2)
Violated any ordinance of the Township of Jefferson or
the laws of the United States or the State of New Jersey, the violations of
which reflect unfavorably on the fitness of the licensee to hold a license
for public transportation.
(3)
Failed to furnish or keep in force the insurance policy
and power of attorney required by this chapter.
B.
Prior to suspension or revocation, the licensee shall
be given written notice of the proposed action to be taken, the reasons therefor,
and he shall have an opportunity to be heard.
A.
The Township Council is given authority to suspend or
revoke any taxicab driver's license issued under this chapter for failure
to comply with the provisions of this chapter. When for any reason a driver
ceases to work for his employer, this fact shall be reported in writing by
such employer within 24 hours, to the Township Clerk. In addition, the driver's
license shall be surrendered to the Township Clerk.
B.
Suspension or revocation of a taxicab driver's license
may be appealed to the Township Council within 30 days. The discharge of a
driver by his employer shall automatically cancel the driver's license. Every
driver licensed under this chapter shall comply with all town, state and federal
laws. Failure to do so will justify suspension or revocation of this permit.
No fee will be charged for a driver's license if the same individual is rehired
by a licensed cab operator during the same calendar year.
It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to pay the legal fare
after having hired the taxicab, and it shall be unlawful for any person to
hire any vehicle with intent to defraud the person from whom it is hired of
the value of such service.
The making of false statements and/or the disclosure thereof in any
application or record required by this chapter shall constitute a violation
of this chapter.
[Amended 9-21-1970 by Ord. No. 273]
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall
be subject to a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment in the county jail
for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of the Municipal
Court Judge before whom such conviction shall be had. In the event the person
violating any provision of this chapter is a corporation, the officers, agents
or employees thereof who shall violate, or procure, aid or abet any violation
of any of the provisions of this chapter, or permit the operation of any taxicab
contrary to the requirements thereto, shall be subject to the same penalties
as if they, themselves, were personally operating such taxicab at the time
such violations were committed.
