[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Delanco
10-12-1971 by Ord. No. 19-1971 as Ch. 93 of the 1971 Code. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 295.
The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have
the meaning ascribed to them as follows:
Any person who drives a taxicab within this township.
Transporting in such taxicab one or more persons for hire from point
to point within this township or from a point within this township to a point
outside the township limits. The operation of a taxicab by one other than
the owner shall be deemed operation by the owner thereof as well as by the
driver. The transportation of any person other than the owner or driver in
any motor vehicle bearing a sign therein or thereon using the word "Taxi,"
"Taxicab," "Cab" or "Hack" shall be prima facie evidence of operation.
Any person, corporation or association in whose name title to any
taxicab is registered with the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles, or
who appears in such records to be the conditional vendee or lessee thereof.
Any automobile or motorcar, commonly called taxi, but not including
autobuses operating with municipal consent, 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 Delanco, and which accepts passengers for transportation from points or
places within said township to points or places within or outside said township.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, no person shall operate
any taxicab within this township unless both the taxicab and the driver thereof
are licensed pursuant to this chapter and conform to all the provisions hereof,
except that such taxicab licenses as are now issued and outstanding pursuant
to the terms of any ordinance heretofore adopted shall remain effective until
their respective expiration dates, and the taxicabs thereby licensed shall
be deemed to be licensed pursuant to the terms of this chapter until such
licenses are surrendered, suspended or revoked or have expired; provided,
nevertheless, that in all other particulars said taxicabs and their owners
shall be subject to all the provisions hereof.
There are hereby established two classes of taxicab licenses, to be
known as "taxicab driver's license" and "taxicab owner's license" respectively.
A taxicab driver's license shall entitle the person named therein to operate
within this township any taxicab duly licensed hereunder until the said license
expires, is surrendered, suspended or revoked, and shall not be transferable.
A taxicab owner's license shall entitle the taxicab therein described to be
operated in this township by a driver duly licensed hereunder until the said
license expires, is surrendered, suspended or revoked, and shall not be transferable.
Any license issued pursuant to the terms of this chapter shall expire
at 12:00 midnight of the 31st day of December of the year in which it was
issued, unless sooner surrendered, suspended or revoked.
The number of licenses of either class issued and outstanding at the
same time shall not exceed such number as the Township Committee shall, in
its discretion, from time to time, deem adequate to serve public necessity
and convenience.
All applications for the issuance or renewal of a license of either
class shall be made to the Township Committee on forms adopted by said Township
Committee and designed to elicit information respecting the identification,
responsibility and law-abiding habits of the applicant.
Each applicant for a license of either class shall supply the information
requested on the application form in full, verify the correctness thereof
by his or her oath or affirmation and file the completed application with
the Township Clerk, together with the full amount of the fee hereinafter fixed
therefor.
Each applicant for a taxicab driver's license shall file with his or
her application two photographs, each 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches
in size, clearly depicting the facial features of the applicant, both of which
photographs shall thereupon become the property of the township and be retained
with the application form unless the license shall be issued, in which event
one of such photographs shall be permanently affixed to the license card in
a space provided thereon.
Every applicant for a taxicab owner's license shall submit with his
or her application the insurance policy, or certificate in lieu thereof, required
by N.J.S.A. 48:16-3 of New Jersey, covering the taxicab to be licensed.
The annual fee for each taxicab driver's license hereafter issued or
any renewal thereof shall be $3 for each year or portion of a year for which
the license is issued or renewed, and the annual fee for each taxicab owner's
license issued or renewed shall be $10 for each year or portion of a year
for which the license is issued or renewed. Such fees shall not be prorated
nor any part thereof refunded for any reason, except that, upon the denial
of an application for issuance or renewal of a license by the Township Committee,
the fee deposited shall be returned to the applicant.
The Township Committee may, in its discretion, refuse to issue or renew,
or may, after notice and hearing, revoke or suspend:
A.
Any license of either class if the applicant or licensee
has been once convicted of a crime in this or any other jurisdiction, or convicted
of being a disorderly person or of a violation of Title 39, Motor Vehicles
and Traffic Regulation, of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey,[1] or has violated or violates any provision of this chapter, or
has any judgment unsatisfied of record against him or her arising out of any
automobile accident, or is a citizen of any nation between which and the United
States of America a state of war exists, or has made false answers in his
or her application for such license or any renewal thereof, or has failed
or fails to render reasonably prompt, safe and adequate taxicab service, or
has not complied fully with all requirements of this chapter for such class
of license;
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 39:1-1 et seq.
B.
Any taxicab driver's license if the licensee or applicant
has in any degree contributed to any injury to person or damage to property
arising out of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, or has any communicable
or contagious disease; or
C.
Any taxicab owner's license if the motor vehicle licensed
or to be licensed, by reason of unsafe or insanitary conditions, is dangerous
to the safety or health of the occupants or others, or if the policy of insurance
required by N.J.S.A. 48:16-3 has once lapsed or such coverage is not maintained
at all times.
Each applicant granted a taxicab driver's license shall be issued a
license card in evidence thereof, in a form approved by the Township Committee
and signed by the Township Clerk in its behalf. Such license card shall at
all times be prominently displayed and adequately protected in the interior
of any taxicab operated by the licensee so that the face thereof shall be
at all times in full view of and plainly legible to any passenger seated on
the rear seat of such taxicab. Such license card shall at all times be and
remain the property of the township and, on direction of the Township Committee,
shall be surrendered to the Township Clerk.
No taxicab driver's license card other than that of the licensee actually
operating the cab at the time shall be displayed therein.
No taxicab shall hereafter be operated in this township unless and until
there is prominently displayed in the interior thereof, within the full view
and access of any passengers therein, a complete list of fares, charges or
tariff rates charged for transportation of passengers, which fares, charges
or tariff rates so displayed, and no other, shall be those to be charged any
passenger so transported.
Every taxicab so licensed shall display a sign with the words "Taxicab,"
"Taxi" or "Cab" thereon in letters at least six inches high, or the name of
the operating owner containing the words "Taxi," "Cab" or "Taxicab."
Every taxicab so licensed shall have painted on each side thereof in
letters at least one inch high the name of the owner thereof followed or preceded
by the word "Owner."
No person shall park or rank any taxicab on any of the streets of this
township at any time except at such place or places as the Township Committee
may from time to time designate as taxi stands.
