Unless otherwise expressly stated, whenever
used in this chapter, the following words shall have the meaning given
to them by the section:
DRIVER'S LICENSE
Permission granted by the Village of Saranac Lake, New York
to any person to drive upon the streets of such Village any licensed
taxicab.
OPERATOR
Any person owning or having control of the use of one or
more taxicabs used for hire upon the streets of the Village of Saranac
Lake, New York or engaged in the business of operating a taxicab.
PERSON
One or more persons of either sex, natural persons, corporations,
partnerships, associations, joint stock companies, societies and all
other entities of such kind capable of being sued.
STREET
Any street, alley, avenue, court, bridge, lane or public
place in the Village of Saranac Lake, New York.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle or other conveyance engaged in the business
of carrying persons for hire, whether the same be operated from taxicab
stand or subject to calls from a garage or otherwise operated for
hire, except vehicles subject to the provisions of the Transportation
Corporation Law or used by undertakers in carrying on their business.
TAXICAB DRIVER
Any person who drives a taxicab, whether such person be the
owner of such taxicab or employed by a taxicab owner or operator.
TAXICAB LICENSE
Permission granted by the Village of Saranac Lake, New York
to any person to operate or keep for hire any taxicab in such Village.
TAXICAB STAND
Any location or place designated by the Board of Trustees
of said Village from which taxicabs shall be operated and stationed,
except when said taxicabs are actually engaged in going to, or coming
from, calls.
No person shall operate or permit to be operated
a taxicab within the Village of Saranac Lake, New York which is not
licensed under the provisions of this chapter. No person shall operate
a taxicab within the Village of Saranac Lake, New York, except a taxicab
driver licensed under the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 2-22-1971; 4-4-1974; 5-14-1979 by L.L. No. 2-1979; 6-8-1981 by L.L. No.
1-1981]
A. By decision of the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Saranac Lake, hereafter there shall be no minimum and no maximum
rates for taxicab fares in the Village of Saranac Lake.
B. Notwithstanding Subsection
A of this section, rates shall be established by the individuals, persons, firms, corporations, partnerships or associations, and rate cards shall be posted in accordance with §
260-4.
Each person, firm, corporation, copartnership
or association licensed hereunder shall provide a rate card upon which
will be designated the license of the car and the rates prescribed
by this chapter. Said rate card shall be placed in a card frame within
the taxicab in such a manner that it may be seen and read by the passengers,
and its position therein must be approved by the Police Department
of said Village.
Taxicab licenses shall be issued as of the first day of June of each year and shall be valid until the last day of May of the following year, unless sooner revoked as hereinafter provided. Applications for licenses shall be made upon forms supplied by the Village Clerk. A certificate of the Chief of Police that the vehicle sought to be licensed has been examined by a competent mechanic designated by him and found to be in good mechanical condition and clean and sanitary, and all charges or fees for said mechanical inspections shall be chargeable to the licenses. Licenses shall be signed by the Village Manager and countersigned by the Village Clerk. Such licenses shall be nontransferable. Each taxicab license shall be a part of the rate card and posted as stated in §
260-4. The licensee shall also be furnished by the Village Board with a plate with the license number of said vehicle thereon and be conspicuously displayed on each licensed vehicle at all times when operating under such license.
Each individual or corporation in consideration
of the privilege and benefit of operating an automobile, omnibus or
other motor vehicle for the transportation of persons for hire or
a consideration on, along and over the streets and public thoroughfares
of the Village of Saranac Lake, New York, shall be and hereby is required
to pay and there is imposed a license fee of the sum of $10 per year
or any part thereof. Said license fee permits and grants the privilege
of each individual or corporation to operate one vehicle for said
purposes. For each additional automobile, omnibus or other vehicle
used or operated by said individual or corporation there shall be
imposed the additional sum of $5 per year or any part thereof.
[Amended 1-2-1968]
Taxicab drivers' licenses shall be issued as
of the first day of June of each year and shall be valid until the
last day of May of the following year, unless sooner revoked as herein
provided. The fee for such license shall be $2. Applications for such
licenses shall be made upon forms prepared and supplied by the Village
Clerk and shall be accompanied by the required fee, such application
shall be signed as approved or disapproved by the Chief of Police.
License shall be signed by the Village Manager and countersigned by
the Village Clerk and shall be nontransferable. The Village shall
supply to each licensee an insignia or button to be attached to the
clothing of the taxicab driver and conspicuously displayed while actually
engaged in operating a taxicab. An applicant for such license must
be a citizen of the United States, the holder of a New York State
chauffeur's license, not addicted to the use of drugs or intoxicating
liquors, state whether he has ever been convicted of a felony, state
if his license has ever been revoked, and if so, for what reason.
The application form shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant.
A taxicab driver shall not refuse a call from any orderly person unless
he is previously engaged.
The Village Manager or Chief of Police shall
take cognizance of any act, conduct or omission by those to whom these
regulations are applicable, which is prejudicial, offensive or detrimental
to the best interests of the public, although not specifically mentioned
in this chapter, and may as a result suspend a license. In addition,
the Chief of Police may suspend a license issued hereunder immediately
upon the preferring of charge of violation of this chapter or of any
law or ordinance affecting the operation of a motor vehicle. If the
person or persons affected by such suspension desire a hearing thereon,
application therefor shall be made within 10 days after such suspension
to the Village Board which shall thereafter hold a hearing thereon.
The Village Board after such hearing, may remove the suspension, continue
the same for a period determined by it or revoke the license, and
its determination shall be final.
All public taxicab stands heretofore established
or designated by said Village of Saranac Lake, New York, are hereby
approved as of November 1, 1965, and the Chief of Police of said Village
is hereby authorized to locate and designate taxicab stands subject
to the approval of the Board of Trustees of said Village. Applications
for the establishment of a taxicab stand, shall be granted solely
in the discretion of the Chief of Police, with the approval of the
Village Board, and may be revoked by said Board at any time. Applications
for a permit of a taxicab stand shall be made upon forms prepared
and supplied by the Village Clerk, and shall designate the locations
of the proposed taxicab stand, the facilities available at said location
for the protection of the safety and health of the public and such
other information as the Village Board may deem necessary for the
protection of the public.
Violation of any provisions of this chapter
shall constitute disorderly conduct and every person violating the
same shall be a disorderly person and shall be subject to a fine not
exceeding $25 for the first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense.
Unless otherwise provided herein, or unless such violation shall be
punishable by the laws of the State of New York or the Village of
Saranac Lake, the violation of any of its provisions of this chapter
as amended shall constitute disorderly conduct, and shall be punishable
as such.