As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
APPLICANT
Any person, as defined in this chapter, who has applied for
any license described in this chapter.
CITY
The City of Bordentown in the County of Burlington, New Jersey.
CRUISE or CRUISING
The practice of driving about the streets of the city with
a taxicab so as to solicit passengers or to bring the presence of
the taxicab to the attention of prospective passengers. Any taxicab
operating upon the streets of the city for any purpose other than
while transporting a passenger, going to a definite destination by
the most direct route in response to a call for a taxicab by a prospective
passenger, returning by the most direct route to the place where the
taxicab is principally garaged or kept in the normal course of business
after discharging a passenger or going to or from said garage or principal
place of business to the driver's home by the most direct route shall
be prima facie evidence of "cruising."
DRIVER
Any person who operates or drives a taxicab within the city.
OPERATE, OPERATING or OPERATION
The transportation of one or more passengers for hire in
any taxicab along any of the streets of the city. The terms shall
include accepting a passenger for transportation or hire within the
city or from a point within the city to a point outside of the city.
The terms shall not be defined to include discharging a passenger
transported for hire from a Point outside of the city to a point within
the city or the operation of a taxicab on through service in the city
without pickup or discharge of passengers within the city. "Operation"
of a taxicab as described herein shall be deemed operation by both
the owner and the driver of the taxicab. The transportation of any
person other than the owner or driver in any motor vehicle bearing
the designation or words "taxicab," "taxi" or "cab" shall be prima
facie evidence of "operation,"
OWNER
Any person in whose name title to any taxicab is registered
with the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles or who is the lessee
of such vehicle.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm or
association, as well as any individual who owns 10% or more of the
shares or interest in any corporation, company, partnership, firm
or association.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying passengers
for hire, which is held out, announced or advertised to operate, or
which is operated, over any of the streets within the city and which
accepts passengers for transportation from points or places within
or without the city.
No person shall operate any taxicab within the
city unless both the taxicab and the driver thereof are licensed pursuant
to the provisions of this chapter.
Any license issued pursuant to this chapter
shall expire at 12:00 midnight of the 31st day of December of the
year in which the license was issued unless the license is suspended
or revoked prior to that date.
The Board of Commissioners may, after notice
and hearing, revoke or suspend any license issued pursuant to this
chapter in the event that the licensee:
A. Fails to satisfy or to continue to satisfy any of
the requirements of this chapter for obtaining a license.
B. Has made any false statements or has provided any
false, erroneous or untrue information with respect to the application
for the license.
C. Has failed to comply with the terms of this chapter.
D. Has failed to provide reasonably prompt, safe or adequate
taxicab service.
E. For holders of any taxicab driver's license, has been
involved in two or more motor vehicle accidents while operating a
taxicab which has caused personal injuries to any person, excluding
the licensee, in the event that the accidents were caused by the negligent
operation of the taxicab by the licensee.
No person shall cruise on the streets of the
city with any taxicab at any time.
[Added 3-8-1993 by Ord. No. 1993-7]
A. No taxicab license shall be issued to or renewed for
any taxicab unless and until proof shall have been given that such
taxicab has adequately provided for the safety of children under the
age of five years old, who are passengers in said taxicab operated
by them. Proof of the following must be supplied:
(1) Children 18 months of age or younger who are passengers
in said taxicab shall be placed and properly secured in a federally
approved child restraint seat.
(2) Children over the age of 18 months but under the age
of five years must be placed and adequately secured in a carseat,
if riding in the front seat of a taxicab, or in a lap and/or lap or
shoulder harness seatbelt, if riding in the rear seat of a taxicab.
B. Every person operating a taxicab who is transporting
a child under the age of five years old on roadways, streets or highways
of the City of Bordentown shall be responsible for the protection
of the child by properly using a child passenger restraint system
that complies with federal vehicle safety standards and all safety
standards promulgated by any agency having jurisdiction.
C. Proof shall consist of a written policy or posted
notice at the base of operation and in all taxicabs, conspicuous to
drivers, setting forth that, prior to the operation of the taxicab,
children 18 months of age or younger who are passengers in a taxicab
shall be placed in federally approved child restraint seat and children
over the age of 18 months but under the age of five years must be
placed in a car seat, if riding in the front seat of the taxicab,
or in a lap and/or lap and shoulder harness seatbelt, if riding in
the rear of the taxicab. A licensee must at all times keep and maintain
in vehicles or at the base of operation a total number of federally
approved car seats equal to 50% of the number of licensed taxicabs
in its fleet, which shall at all times be available for use by its
drivers. If a request is made for a taxicab by telephone, the dispatcher
shall inquire about the presence and age of children who will be making
the ride and inform the caller of the policy set forth in this section.
He or she will dispatch only a taxicab with a car seat if there is
a child 18 months or younger. Drivers who stop for a fare must comply
with this subsection. If a car seat is required and the particular
driver does not have one, he or she must pass up the fare.
D. Holders of city taxicab owner's licenses shall have
30 days from the effective date of this section to comply with its
provisions.
E. Penalties for violation of these rules shall be as
follows: a fine of $100 to $500 and/or suspension or revocation of
the taxicab license.
Any person who violates any provision of this
chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced in accordance
with an Ordinance Providing for Penalties for Violations of Ordinances
within the City of Bordentown, adopted on the eighth day of August
1988, as Ordinance No. 1988-11.