It shall be unlawful to engage in the business of operating
a taxicab in the Borough of Lodi unless a license, to be known as
a "taxi owner's license," shall have been issued for said purpose
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
The taxi owner's license herein provided shall bear a number
and shall state the name of the person licensed. It shall briefly
describe the vehicle licensed and contain the motor vehicle license
number as well as the manufacturer's number of such motor vehicle.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
TAXICAB
Any vehicle used to carry passengers for hire but not operating
on a fixed route.
No such license shall be issued to or held by any person who
is not a person of good character or who has been convicted of a crime,
nor shall such license be issued to or held by any corporation if
any officer thereof would be ineligible for a license under the foregoing
conditions.
The annual fee, payable in advance, for such licenses shall be as provided in Chapter
235, Article
IV, Fee Schedule, payable per year for each taxicab operated. Whenever the number of cabs so operated shall be increased during the license year, the licensee shall notify the Clerk of such change and shall pay the additional fee.
Applications for such license shall be made in writing to the
Borough Clerk and shall state thereon the name and residence of the
owner, the type of vehicle proposed to be licensed, the intended place
of business and the number of taxicabs to be operated, and a complete
schedule of the fares to be charged, and such other facts as the Municipal
Council may require. If the applicant is a corporation, the names
and addresses of the president, secretary and the principal office
addresses shall be given.
No taxicab shall be operated unless it bears a state license
duly issued, and no such cab shall be operated unless it is equipped
with proper brakes, lights, tires, horn, muffler, rear-vision mirror
and windshield wipers in good condition, and shall at all times be
kept clean and in good repair. It shall be the duty of the Chief of
Police to inspect every taxicab so often as may be necessary to see
to the enforcement of the provisions of this section. Each taxicab,
while operated, shall have on each side, in letters readable from
a distance of 20 feet, the name of the licensee operating it. If more
than one cab is operated by a licensee, each cab shall be designated
by a different number, and such number also shall so appear on each
side of such cab.
No person shall drive a taxicab or be hired or permitted to
do so unless he is duly licensed as a taxi driver. It shall be unlawful
for any driver of a taxicab while on duty to drink any intoxicating
liquor or to use any profane or obscene language, to shout or call
to prospective passengers or to disturb the peace in any way.
No taxicab shall be operated and no license shall be issued
until there shall have been submitted to the Borough Attorney, and
approved by him as to both form and sufficiency, and filed with the
Borough Clerk a prepaid bond or public liability insurance policy,
providing coverage in amounts required by N.J.S.A. 48:16-3, as amended,
and shall recite on its face that said bond or policy is issued in
pursuance of this chapter; and provided further that, pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 48:16-5, a power of attorney shall be executed and delivered
to the Borough Tax Collector or Borough Treasurer concurrently with
the filing of the bond or policy of insurance hereinabove referred
to.
It shall be the duty of every driver of a taxicab to obey all
traffic rules established by statute or ordinance.
It shall be unlawful to permit any taxicab to be used in the
perpetration of a crime or misdemeanor.
It shall be the duty of the driver of any taxicab to accept
as a passenger any person who seeks to so use the taxicabs, provided
that such person is not intoxicated and conducts himself in an orderly
manner. No person shall be admitted to a taxicab occupied by a passenger
without the consent of the passenger. The driver shall take his passenger
to his destination by the most direct available route from the place
where the passenger enters the cab.
No driver of any vehicle licensed hereunder shall permit such
vehicle when disengaged to stand in any public street or place other
than at a public hack stand, provided that nothing herein shall prevent
such driver from waiting for a passenger in front of any building
or place.
The charges for taxicab service shall not exceed the rates set
out in the application for the owner's license. Each taxicab
shall have fastened in a conspicuous place therein a printed card
showing the rates provided for in the approved application, in letters
and figures of not less than 1/2 inch in height, which card shall
bear the license number of such vehicle and also the owner's
name. Charges in excess thereof shall constitute a violation of this
chapter by the owner or taxicab driver, or both.
In the absence of a fixed flat rate charged at any point within
the Borough limits, no taxicab shall be operated unless it is equipped
with a meter in good condition to accurately record the correct amount
to be charged on each trip, which amount shall be shown at all times
in figures plainly visible to the passenger.
Upon request, the taxi driver shall give each passenger who
pays his fare a receipt showing the amount paid.
Any dispute as to the fare shall be determined by the officer
in charge of the police station at the time of the dispute.
A. The locations on the public streets designated as taxicab stands
shall be designated by the Mayor and Council by resolution.
B. Additional taxicab stands are hereby established and shall be such
as may from time to time be designated by the Municipal Council. Each
taxicab stand shall be appropriately marked by signs erected under
the supervision of the Chief of Police. It shall be unlawful to park
any vehicle other than a licensed taxicab in any cab stand. A licensed
taxicab may be parked in any taxicab stand only while such taxicab
is in charge of its driver on duty awaiting a fare.
No driver or other person interested in or connected with any
vehicle licensed hereunder shall solicit customers in a noisy or offensive
manner or at any place other than public hack stands in any manner
whatsoever.