[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Mount Laurel 11-19-1973 by Ord. No. 1973-11. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 148.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any individual, copartnership, association, corporation or
joint-stock company, their lessees, trustees or receivers.
Includes any street, road, avenue, park, parkway, highway
or other public place.
Includes any public vehicle propelled by mechanical power,
commonly called a "taxi," "limousine," or "car service" engaged in
the business of carrying passengers for hire and which accepts and
discharges said passengers as may offer themselves for transportation
from and to points or places within the Township. This definition
shall not include taxis, limousines, and other car services that only
occasionally discharge passengers within the Township, but shall expressly
include taxis, limousines, and other car services that pick up passengers
within the Township, and/or are stored or garaged in the Township.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided that all other provisions of Chapter 140 utilizing the terms "taxi" or "taxicab" would be amended to include the phrase "taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service," and limousines and other car services would be expressly subject to all the terms, conditions and provisions of said ordinance.
[Amended 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
No person shall operate any taxi, taxicab, limousine
or other car service upon any street within the Township of Mount
Laurel unless both the taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service
and the driver thereof are licensed pursuant to the terms of this
chapter and conform to all of the provisions hereof and such person
shall have complied with the laws of the State of New Jersey relating
to taxicabs.
[Amended 9-21-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-19; 6-1-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-11; 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
A.Â
Every application for a taxicab license shall be made
in writing to the Director of the Department of Public Safety and
the Township Clerk and shall set forth the full name and address of
the owner, lessee or bailee of the taxi, taxicab, limousine or other
car service to be licensed, the make and character of taxi, taxicab,
limousine or other car service, the length of time it has been in
use, the number of persons said vehicle is suitable for carrying,
the motor and serial number thereof and the place where it may be
inspected by the Department of Public Safety. The applicant for a
taxicab license shall present to the Department of Public Safety proof
of registration for the vehicle, setting forth the name and address
of the person to whom the vehicle is registered.
(1)Â
If the applicant is an individual or copartnership,
said application shall state also whether or not the applicant or
applicants have ever been convicted of a crime, and if so, the crime
of which he or she has been convicted, the place of conviction, the
date thereof and the punishment therefor.
(2)Â
If the applicant is a corporation, said application
shall set forth the names and addresses of its officers, directors
or stockholders and shall also state whether or not said officers,
directors or stockholders have been convicted of a crime, and if so,
the crime of which he or she has been convicted, the place of the
conviction, the date thereof and the punishment therefor.
B.Â
Each application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable
fee of $50 for each driver being licensed plus a $75 administrative
fee. A nonrefundable fee of $350 for each vehicle, including a taxicab,
limousine, or other car service being licensed, will be due at the
time of inspection of said vehicle. Timing and payment of fees is
at the sole discretion of the Clerk.
[Amended 12-22-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-8]
C.Â
There shall be submitted with each application a schedule
of the rates, fees or charges proposed to be made for the use within
the Township of Mount Laurel of such taxis, taxicabs, limousines or
other car services to be licensed.
No taxicab license or taxicab driver's license
shall be issued to an individual who is not a citizen of the United
States of America or who has been convicted of a crime involving moral
turpitude, or to a copartnership unless all the members thereof are
citizens of the United States of America and none of whom has been
convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, or to a corporation
unless each of said officers, directors and stockholders thereof is
a citizen of the United States of America and none of whom has been
convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.
[Amended 10-17-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-31; 3-19-2012 by Ord. No.
2012-2]
Prior to the issuance of a taxicab license to
an applicant under the above-entitled ordinance, each applicant shall
file a certificate of insurance with the Township of Mount Laurel
proving that each taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service of
the applicant is covered by liability insurance in the minimum amount
of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident and $10,000 property
damage per accident.
[Amended 9-21-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-19; 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
Upon the granting of a taxicab license, there
shall be issued to the applicant a card setting forth the name and
address of the licensee, the number of the license, the make and character
of the taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service licensed, together
with the maximum number of passengers to be carried therein at any
one time. Said license card shall be signed by the Township Clerk
and shall at all times be prominently displayed in the interior of
the taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service so licensed. There
shall also be displayed in the interior of said taxi, taxicab, limousine
or other car service a statement or schedule of the charges for the
use thereof. Any taxicab license issued pursuant to this chapter may
be transferred to another vehicle owned or in the custody of the same
licensee, upon approval of the Township Clerk after proper application
is made therefor and payment of a transfer fee of $2.
[Amended 10-17-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-31; 6-1-2009 by Ord. No.
2009-11]
Every application for a taxicab driver's license
shall be made to the Director of the Department of Public Safety and
Township Clerk and shall set forth the full name and address of the
applicant, date of birth, social security number, whether or not he
or she has ever been convicted of a crime, and if so, the crime of
which he or she has been convicted, the place of conviction, the date
thereof and the punishment therefor. Such applicant shall also furnish
his or her driver's license number and satisfactory evidence that
said license is not now or has been previously revoked. Each applicant
for the taxicab driver's license shall, at the time of filing his
application, consent to a criminal history investigation by the Department
of Public Safety in order to secure reports from any agency it may
deem desirable or necessary with respect to said application. Each
applicant for a taxicab driver's license shall file with his or her
application three photographs, approximately 1Â 1/2 inches by
1Â 1/2 inches, clearly depicting the facial features of the applicant,
each of which photographs shall thereupon become the property of the
Township and be retained with the application form unless the application
shall be granted and the license issued, in which event one of such
photographs shall be permanently affixed to the license card issued
to said taxicab driver, one shall be retained by the Township Clerk
and one shall be delivered to the Division of Police. Each of said
photographs shall be signed on the back thereof by the applicant and
shall bear the date upon which they were taken, which shall be not
more than 30 days prior to the date of the application. A nonrefundable
license fee of $15 shall accompany each application for a taxicab
driver's license.
[Amended 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
If the application for a taxicab driver's license
shall be granted, there shall be issued to the applicant a license
card setting forth the number of the license, the name and address
of the licensee and his or her age. Said license card shall be signed
by the Township Clerk and shall at all times be permanently displayed
and adequately protected in the interior of any taxi, taxicab, limousine
or other car service operated by the licensee so that the face thereof
shall at all times be in full view of and plainly legible to any person
seated on the rear seat of such taxi, taxicab, limousine or other
car service.
[Amended 9-21-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-19]
Any applicant who is denied a license under
this chapter may appeal to the Township Council within 10 days of
his notification of denial at which time the Township Council will
hold a hearing for the aggrieved party to determine the validity of
the Director of Public Safety's denial of the application, at which
time the Township Council may affirm or reverse the actions of the
Director of Public Safety. No application shall be accepted from an
applicant who was denied a license and no license shall be issued
to said applicant unless the condition or conditions have changed
sufficient to warrant a new license. The application shall set forth
whether the applicant has previously filed an application for a license
and whether said license was denied.
Every application for a taxicab license or taxicab
driver's license shall be verified by the oath of the applicant or
of an officer thereof if the applicant is a corporation.
[Amended 9-21-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-19; 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
Every license issued pursuant to the terms of
this chapter shall expire at 12:00 midnight on the 30th day of June
of each year, unless sooner surrendered, suspended or revoked; provided,
however, that if an application for a renewal shall have been filed
on or before June 30, said taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service
may be operated and said taxicab driver may operate a taxi, taxicab,
limousine or other car service, pending the issuance of a new license
or licenses, until the 15th day of July next succeeding. No license
fee payable under this chapter shall be prorated nor shall any part
thereof be refunded for any reason. Applications for a renewal of
any license shall be processed as if an application for a new license.
[Amended 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
Every taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car
service so licensed shall have printed or marked on both sides thereof
or shall have affixed to the top thereof a sign, light or device bearing
the word "taxi" or "cab" or the name of the operating owner along
with the word "taxi" or "cab" or "taxicab."
[Amended 3-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
The Township Council, after notice and hearing,
may revoke or suspend any license issued pursuant to this chapter
if the licensee has been once convicted of a crime in this or any
other jurisdiction or has been convicted of being a disorderly person
or of a violation of Title 39, Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulations,
of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, or if the licensee violates
any provision of this chapter or has any judgment unsatisfied against
him, her or it arising out of any automobile accident for the space
of 30 days, or if the licensee has made false answers in his, her
or its application for such license or any renewal thereof, or if
the licensee has failed or fails to render reasonably safe, proper
or adequate taxicab service, or if the licensee has not complied fully
with all the requirements of this chapter with respect to such license.
Any taxicab driver's license may be revoked or suspended by the Township
Council, after notice and hearing, if the licensee has in any degree
contributed to any injury to person or damage to property arising
out of the negligent operation of a motor vehicle, or if said taxicab
driver shall have any communicable or contagious disease. Any taxicab
license may be revoked or suspended by the Township Council, after
notice and hearing, if the taxi, taxicab, limousine or other car service
licensed is dangerous to the safety or health of occupants or others
by reason of unsafe or unsanitary conditions, or if the financial
responsibility of the owner, lessee or bailee has fallen below the
requirements hereinbefore set forth, or if said licensed taxi, taxicab,
limousine or other car service shall be used for any improper, immoral
or illegal business or purpose.
[Amended 10-17-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-31; 10-1-1984 by Ord. No. 1984-33]
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions
of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished either by imprisonment
in the county jail or in any place provided by the municipality for
the detention of prisoners for a term not exceeding 90 days or by
a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both, in the discretion of the court.
In default of the payment of any fine imposed under this chapter,
any person convicted of a violation hereof may, in the discretion
of the court by whom said person was convicted, be imprisoned in the
county jail or place of detention provided by the municipality for
any term not exceeding 90 days.
