It shall be unlawful for any person, association
of persons, or corporation, either as principal, agent or employee,
without first procuring a license as provided herein, to use or operate
upon any street, avenue, alley or other public place of the City of
Norwich any motor vehicle whatever for the carriage of passengers
for hire.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following
terms shall have the following meanings:
DRIVER
A person operating a motor vehicle.
EMERGENCY BUS
A motor vehicle operated temporarily in substitution of any
motor vehicle licensed pursuant to this chapter, or occasionally in
augmentation of the service of motor vehicles licensed under this
chapter.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any motor-propelled vehicle operated over the streets and
public places of the City for the purpose of carrying passengers for
hire, which receives and discharges persons along the route traversed
by said vehicles, chartered buses or motor-propelled vehicles used
exclusively for sight-seeing purposes, or motor-propelled vehicles
used exclusively as hotel buses, or any motor-propelled vehicle which
is rented from a fixed stand in the street or from a private or public
garage, the destination of which is under the direction of the passenger
or passengers transported therein, but shall include machines or cars
known as "jitneys" or "jitney buses," "buses" or "omnibuses."
Upon the approval of such application by the
City Clerk, the City Clerk shall issue a license.
The annual license fee payable hereunder shall
be as set by the Common Council for each emergency bus to be operated
and for each motor vehicle regularly operated wholly within the City.
Licenses shall expire on the last day of December
of each year.
Such license shall be granted upon the following
conditions:
A. That service over routes wholly within the limits
of the City of Norwich shall be maintained for a period of not less
than 18 out of every 24 hours, unless prevented by acts of God or
causes beyond the licensee's control.
B. That said licensee shall and will at all times obey
the laws of the State of New York and all ordinances and traffic regulations
of the City of Norwich in regard to traffic in and over the streets
and public places of said City, and all laws, ordinances and regulations
relating to the operation of motor vehicles and the carrying of passengers
for hire.
C. That said licensee shall and will operate its vehicle
in accordance with the terms and conditions imposed by the authority
by which its permit to operate was given.
D. That said licensee shall not or will not drive or
operate any motor vehicle when there is attached thereto a trailer
or other passenger-carrying vehicle.
E. That no motor vehicle shall be operated or driven
during the period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before
sunrise unless the interior of the body shall be effectively illuminated.
F. That the licensee shall not permit any person other
than his or its employee to stand upon the running board or step thereof
or sit upon the fender or dash or doors of said vehicle.
G. That the licensee shall carry on the front of said
machine a sign plainly lettered and legible by night and day, giving
the route to be traversed.
H. That the licensee shall promptly report to the City
Clerk any change in the facts set forth in the application for operation,
together with a statement as to what authority authorized such change.
The provisions of this chapter are to compensate
the City of Norwich for wear and tear of pavements, improvements and
bridges and safeguarding passengers and persons using the streets.
All licensees shall file in January of each year with the City Clerk a verified statement setting forth the information required in §
533-3 above.
Any person who violates any provision of this
chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of
not more than $250 or imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.