This chapter shall be known and cited as the
"Taxi Ordinance of the City of Gloversville."
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any motor vehicle driven by mechanical power carrying passengers
for a fee or charge, other than bus lines.
It shall be the duty of every person driving
or operating a taxicab to be courteous and gentlemanly, to refrain
from swearing, loud talking or boisterous conduct, to drive his motor
vehicle carefully and in full compliance with the provisions of the
Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York, the Traffic Ordinance
of the City of Gloversville[1] and regulations or orders of the Police Department or
any police officer and to deal honestly with the public.
Every driver of a taxicab shall have the right
to demand payment of the legal fare in advance and may refuse employment
until so prepaid.
No driver of a taxicab shall refuse or neglect
to convey any orderly person, upon request, anywhere in the City,
unless such driver is previously engaged or unable to do so, or unless
the passenger refuses to pay the fare in advance as provided in the
preceding section.
No driver of a taxicab shall carry any other
person than the person first employing such taxicab, together with
his party, without the consent of such passenger.
[Amended 3-27-2007 by Ord. No. 1-2007]
No person other than the driver shall occupy
the driver's compartment of any taxicab. Drivers shall not occupy
the passenger's compartment at any time the vehicle is in motion.
One passenger may occupy the front passenger compartment regardless
of the occupancy status of the rear seat(s).
All disputes as to the lawful rate of fare to
be charged a passenger shall, upon request of the driver or the passenger
of the taxicab, be determined by the nearest available police officer.
This provision shall be mandatory, and the police officer to whom
such request is made must render such service. Failure to comply with
such determination shall subject the offending party to a charge of
disorderly conduct.
Every driver of a taxicab, immediately after
the termination of any hiring or employment, must carefully search
such taxicab for any property lost or left therein, and any such property,
unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner, must be taken to
the police station and deposited with the officer in charge within
twenty-four (24) hours after the finding thereof. The police officer
in charge shall give a receipt therefor and shall enter in the police
records the name of the finder and a brief statement of the particulars
and a description of the property. Any such property not claimed or
restored to the owner within thirty (30) days shall be returned to
the finder.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 265-10, Rates, as amended,
was repealed 4-9-2013 by Res. No. 38-2013.
[Amended 8-22-1995 by L.L. No. 9-1995]
The City Traffic Supervisor, as authorized by § 284-56 of Chapter 284, Vehicles and Traffic, of the City of Gloversville, may designate certain locations as public taxicab stands and shall specify the number of taxicabs that shall be permitted to stand at any such place. The Police Department shall cause to be attached to a post or stanchion a metal sign which shall state the number of taxicabs which shall be permitted to stand at such particular stand.
[Amended 10-24-1995 by Ord. No. 20-95]
A.
No taxicab while on duty shall be parked or sit on
any public street or place other than at a public taxicab stand(s)
designated in accordance with this chapter, except between the hours
of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, Sunday and legal
holidays or standing for passenger loading, payments, pickups or deliveries.
B.
A taxicab when not on duty may park, stand or sit
in the same place and manner as motor vehicles generally, except that
between the hours at 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., excluding legal
holidays, Monday through Saturdays, in a block where a public taxicab
stand(s) has been established, no taxicab shall park, stand or sit
on either side of the street in such block other than at such designated
stand(s).
Only taxicabs in such numbers as are set forth on the metal signs erected under the provisions of § 265-11 of this chapter may remain at such stands while waiting for employment, and at stands established on public streets must be parked in single file. The taxicab standing at the head of such parked line shall not be permitted to refuse to carry any orderly person who offers to hire such taxicab and agrees to pay the proper rate of fare; provided, however, that the foregoing provisions shall not be construed to prevent any person from selecting any taxicab he may desire at the stand, whether it is at the head of the line of not. As a taxicab leaves the parked line with passengers, those in the rear shall move up, and any taxicab seeking space at such stand shall not approach the same except from the rear thereof and shall move up as closely as possible to the last car in the parked line.
No person shall solicit passengers for a taxicab
upon the streets of the City except the driver of the taxicab when
sitting upon the driver's seat thereof. The driver of any taxicab
shall remain on the driver's seat at all times when such vehicle is
standing at the public stands or when actually engaged in the carrying
of passengers; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall
be held to prohibit such driver from alighting to the street or sidewalk
for the purpose of assisting passengers into or out of such vehicle
or assisting them with their baggage.
The Police Department shall maintain constant
vigilance over all taxicabs to see that they are kept in a condition
of continued fitness for public use and, to this end, it shall inspect
or cause to be inspected all taxicabs as hereinafter provided and
may inspect any taxicab at any time on the complaint of any citizen.
It shall be unlawful for any person other than
the driver or owner of a taxicab standing upon the public streets
to loiter at, within or near the taxicab.
