[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
(now Township Council) of the Township of Greenwich 3-3-1947. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 140.
A.
TAXICAB
Terms defined. As used in this chapter, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any automobile, taxicab or other vehicle propelled by motor
power and engaged in the business of transporting passengers for hire
or pay within the Township of Greenwich.
B.
Word usage. Words used in the singular number shall
include the plural and words used in the plural number shall include
the singular.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection (b) of this
section, concerning the definition of the word "person," was deleted
10-4-1976.
The licensing, regulating and inspecting of
taxicabs, the examination of applicants for licenses who own and operate
such taxicabs and the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter
shall be under the control of the Township Council.
[Amended 4-7-1953; 4-5-1954]
No person shall hire out, keep or use for hire
or pay, or cause to be kept or used for hire or pay, any taxicab without
first having obtained a license for that purpose from the Township
Council for each and every taxicab. Such license shall be known as
a "taxicab license," shall be identified by a suitable number and
shall be issued for a particular taxicab. The number of such licenses
outstanding shall be determined at the discretion of the Township
Council of the Township of Greenwich.
Every person obtaining a taxicab license must
be at least 21 years of age and a citizen of the United States. If
the licensee is a corporation, such a corporation must be organized
and existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey and shall maintain
an office in the Township of Greenwich.
[Amended 4-7-1953]
A.
No license shall be issued until the taxicab has been
thoroughly inspected and found to be in a safe condition for the transportation
of passengers, of good appearance, well painted and varnished. There
must be submitted with the application a certified check for the annual
premium for such license and a certificate from the Police Department
of the Township of Greenwich that said taxicab is in a clean and sanitary
condition.
B.
The Township Council is hereby authorized to establish
reasonable rules and regulations for the inspection of public vehicles
and for their construction and condition of fitness and use, specifically
to provide, among other things, that at least one taxicab will be
in operation for the convenience of the general public in all of the
24 hours of every day; and the Township Council may revoke or suspend
the license of any vehicle found to be unfit or unsuited, or not complying
with the rules and regulations herein set forth or hereinafter promulgated,
for the public patronage. The licensees may, by an agreement between
themselves, establish a schedule, which shall be filed with the Chief
of Police of the Township of Greenwich and which will show that service
within the Township is to be maintained on a twenty-four-hour basis.
The failure of any licensee to properly cooperate with the other licensees
in making and maintaining said schedule shall be grounds for the revocation
or suspension of said license.
A.
All applications for taxicabs licenses shall be in
writing, in duplicate, and shall contain the full name and address
of the owner, the serial number, type, color, age and make of the
taxicab, the number of persons it is to carry and, as references,
the names and addresses of two responsible property owners of the
Township of Greenwich. Any and every change of address of the owner
shall be reported, in writing, to the Township Clerk within three
days after such change.
B.
All applications shall be filed with the Township
Clerk who shall submit said applications to the Township Council at
the next succeeding meeting for action, and any or all applications
may be granted or refused by a vote of the members of said body present
at such meeting.
Every applicant for a taxicab license shall,
in addition to the requirements herein provided and of any law of
this state, prove to the satisfaction of the Township Council that
he is over the age of 21 years; that he is in good health, has good
eyesight and is not addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors; that
he is able to read and write the English language; that he is of good
character; that he has not been convicted of any indictable offense
or reckless driving; and that he has knowledge of the state Motor
Vehicle Department's traffic regulations and of the ordinances and
geography of the Township. Every license so issued shall be revoked
upon conviction of two violations of the state motor vehicle statutes.
No taxicab shall be licensed until an insurance
policy, or certificate in lieu thereof, and power of attorney executed
shall have been filed with the Township Clerk as provided for taxicabs
and autocabs pursuant to the provisions of the Revised N.J.S.A. 48:16-1
to 48:16-22, inclusive, together with any amendments or supplements
adopted or hereinafter adopted relative thereto.
No taxicab owner or operator shall cruise the
streets of the Township with any taxicab at any time for the purpose
of soliciting passengers.
No taxicab shall be permitted to park in the
Township of Greenwich, except in those spaces in the Township designated
by the Township Council and marked by it as a "taxi stand" or at such
other places off the public streets as may hereafter be approved by
resolution of the Township Council.
No licensed taxicab, while waiting employment
by passengers, shall stand on any public street or place other than
at or upon the designated public taxicab stand, nor shall any driver
seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving to and fro
on a short space before or by otherwise interfering with the proper
and ordinary access to or egress from any railroad station, theater,
hotel, restaurant or other public place; however, employment may be
solicited by driving through any public street or place, without stops
other than those due to obstructions or traffic, at a rate of speed
that will not interfere with or impede traffic.
There shall be affixed in every taxicab, in
such a manner that the same can be conveniently read by any person
therein, a card at least three inches in height by at least five inches
in length, containing the name of the owner, the license number of
the vehicle and the year of issue.
The rate of fare to be charged within the Township
limits of the Township of Greenwich and surrounding limits shall be
posted so that it may be conspicuously seen by any passenger in any
part of the taxicab.
Every driver of a taxicab shall have the right
to demand the payment of the legal fare in advance and may refuse
employment unless so prepaid; however, no driver of such vehicle shall
otherwise refuse or neglect to convey any orderly person or persons
upon request anywhere in the Township, unless previously engaged or
unable to do so. No driver of a taxicab shall carry any person other
than the first passenger employing him without the consent of said
first passenger.
Side curtains or shades shall not be permitted
on any taxicab.
[Amended 9-18-1961]
All licenses to be issued under the provisions
of this chapter shall be issued in the name of the Township and under
the hand of the Mayor and Clerk of the Township, and all licenses
issued hereunder shall expire January 1 next succeeding the date thereof
unless sooner suspended or revoked. No license issued hereunder shall
be sold or transferred by the holder thereof.
Any license may be revoked or suspended at any
time for cause upon the recommendation of the Township Council.
[Amended 10-4-1976[1]]
Every person or persons, firm or corporation
found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall
be liable to a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment in the
county jail for not more than 90 days, and/or 90 days of community
service. Each succeeding day of violation shall be construed to be
a new violation.
