No person shall offer his services to or be called by the Township or its Police Department as a tower for the purpose of removal of disabled or wrecked or abandoned vehicles unless that person is the holder of a current towing license as hereinafter provided.
A towing license shall be issued to all applicants who meet all of the following requirements:
A. The following vehicles shall be owned or leased exclusively by the applicant, garaged on the premises from which the applicant's towing business is conducted and available on call for the service at the request of the Township or its Police Department:
B. All of the aforesaid required vehicles shall bear a sign indicating the name and telephone number of the applicant's towing business, and the applicant shall make said vehicles available for verification by the Township.
C. All of the aforesaid required vehicles shall be maintained in a safe and usable operating condition.
D. A fenced-in storage yard or other secure facility, open or closed, shall be located on the premises from which the applicant's towing business is conducted, and such yard or storage area shall be authorized by the appropriate zoning, use and occupancy and other municipal permits. A storage area must be available to hold a minimum of five vehicles. The applicant shall permit inspection of the storage yard or facility by the Township. The applicant shall install screening and comply with all the provisions of the state and federal highway beautification acts.
E. The applicant's place of towing business shall be located within the Township boundaries in order that the response time to a call for service is immediate. In the event that any tower or towers who have been in continuous-duty tow service to the Township of Warwick at the time of the enactment of this chapter are in violation of this subsection, said tower or towers shall not be denied a license under this subsection.
F. All applicants shall maintain the following insurance and present proof thereof to the Township, upon request:
(1) General public liability insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000.
(2) Garage keeper's legal liability insurance in the minimum amount of $100,000.
G. All of the aforesaid vehicles shall be equipped with a two-way communication system, such as two-way radios or mobile telephones.
A towing license is issued by the Township on condition of and with the express agreement of the licensee that the licensee shall, at all times, act as independent contractor to and not as an employee of the Township or its Police Department and that payment for services rendered pursuant to said license shall be by the owner, operator or custodian of the disabled, wrecked or abandoned vehicle.