No person shall drive any taxicab and no owner, bailee or possessor
shall suffer or permit anyone to drive any taxicab within the City
of Yonkers unless the driver possesses a valid current taxicab driver's
license under the provisions of this chapter. The driver's license
shall be issued as of the first day of April in each and every year
and shall expire on the 31st day of March of the following year unless
sooner suspended or revoked.
A.
No person shall be permitted to drive a taxicab within the City of
Yonkers who has been:
(1)
Convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or of physical
violence upon another within the past year and/or during the term
of the license, or a felony involving moral turpitude or of physical
violence upon another within the past five years immediately preceding
the issuance of a license.
(2)
Convicted of a crime pursuant to Article 220 of the New York State
Penal Law or equivalent statute in another jurisdiction or adjudged
a narcotic addict in the past five years.
(3)
Convicted of a crime involving the illegal use of a motor vehicle,
and/or an offense of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving while
ability impaired (DWAI) under Article 31 of the New York State Vehicle
and Traffic Law at any time within 10 years immediately preceding
the issuance of a license.
B.
The above qualifications can be removed as provided in § 751
of the Correction Law. For each application for a driver's license,
including renewals, the Police Department shall run a state-wide background
check of the applicant with the State Division of Criminal Justice
Services. The Police Department will submit the fingerprinting impressions
and processing fees to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Every driver of a taxicab, as provided in Article III, § 110-24, of this chapter, shall, prior to receiving a license, pay to the Police Commissioner, or to the person or persons designated by him, the sum of $100 per term therefor. All moneys paid and received for such license fees shall be paid over to the Comptroller of the City of Yonkers at such time or times as the Comptroller may designate and shall be credited to the general fund of the City.
A.
Applications for driver's licenses under this article must be
filed with the Police Commissioner on forms provided by the Police
Department, and the applicant must comply with the following to the
satisfaction of the Police Commissioner:
(1)
Must first have obtained a state chauffeur's license.
(2)
Must be of the age of 19 years or over.
(3)
Must be of sound physique with good eyesight and not subject to epilepsy,
vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity of body or mind which
might render the applicant unfit for the safe operation of a public
vehicle. When required by the Police Commissioner, an applicant shall
furnish a certificate from a reputable physician of this City certifying
whether the applicant is afflicted with any disease or infirmity which
might make the applicant an unsafe or unsatisfactory driver of a public
vehicle.
(4)
Must be able to read and write the printed English language.
(5)
Must be clean in dress and person and not addicted to the use of
intoxicating liquor or drugs.
(6)
Must produce, on forms to be provided by the Police Commissioner,
affidavits of good character from two reputable citizens of the City
of Yonkers who have known the applicant personally and have observed
the applicant's conduct for at least one year preceding the date
of his application; and further testimonial on a form provided for
that purpose from the applicant's employer, unless, in the opinion
of the Police Commissioner, sufficient reason is given for its omission.
B.
The Police Commissioner is hereby empowered and authorized to establish
such additional rules and regulations governing the issuance of drivers'
licenses, not inconsistent herewith, as may be necessary and reasonable.
The Police Commissioner is hereby empowered and authorized to
issue and grant taxicab driver's licenses under this article,
sealed with the City's Corporate Seal, subject to the provisions
contained in this chapter.
Each applicant for a taxicab driver's license must file
with the application three unmounted, unretouched photographs of the
applicant, in such position as the Police Commissioner may direct,
taken within the 30 days preceding the filing of the application.
Photographs shall be of a size which may be easily attached to the
license, one of which shall be attached to the license when issued,
and the others shall be filed with the application. The photograph
shall be so attached to the license that it cannot be removed and
another photograph substituted without detection. The license with
photograph attached shall, so long as the licensee is driving or in
charge of the taxicab, be conspicuously displayed in the tonneau of
such taxicab so as to be easily visible to passengers therein. When
the application for a license is denied, two copies of the photograph
shall be returned to the applicant by the Police Commissioner.
Each applicant for a taxicab driver's license shall file
with the application impressions of the fingers of the applicant's
right and left hand. Such impressions shall be placed upon forms furnished
by the Police Commissioner, the impressions to be taken under the
supervision of the Commissioner's designee. No license or renewal
shall be issued under the provisions of this chapter until after the
investigation and examination of the fingerprint impressions; provided,
however, that a temporary license may be issued for a period not exceeding
20 days pending such investigation.
Each applicant for a driver's license shall be examined
by the Police Commissioner, or by some person designated by him, as
to the applicant's knowledge of the provisions of this chapter,
the traffic regulations of the City and the geography of the City;
and if the results of the examination are unsatisfactory, the applicant
shall be refused a license. Each applicant must, if required by the
Police Commissioner, demonstrate the requisite skill and ability to
handle the applicant's vehicle by driving it through a crowded
section of the City accompanied by a representative of the Police
Department designated by the Police Commissioner.
Every licensed owner, operator or driver of any taxicab shall
wear a badge of such form and style as the Police Commissioner may
prescribe, with the number of the taxicab driver's license thereon
in plain figures not less than 1/2 inch in length and the words "Licensed
Cab, City of Yonkers" beneath such number in letters of not less than
1/4 inch in length. No driver shall permit any other person to wear
the badge issued to that driver.
Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the foregoing requirements,
there shall be issued to the applicant by the Police Commissioner
a taxicab driver's license, which shall be in such form as to
contain a photograph and the signature of the licensee and blank spaces
upon which a record may be made of any arrest of or serious complaint
against the licensee. Each license shall be numbered in the order
in which it is issued and shall contain the name and place of residence
and the dates of issuance and expiration of the license. Defacing,
removing or obliterating any official entry made upon a license shall
be grounds for revocation.
The Police Commissioner may renew a taxicab driver's license from term to term. A driver, in applying for a license renewal, shall apply not less than 30 days prior to its expiration, upon a form to be furnished by the Police Commissioner entitled "Application for Renewal of License," which shall be filled out with the full name and address of the applicant, together with a statement of the date upon which the original license was granted and the number thereof, and the applicant shall furnish to the Police Commissioner photographs as provided in § 110-30 of this article.
An additional fee of $5 per day for each renewal license shall
be made if the applicant is delinquent in excess of 10 days beyond
the expiration date of the applicant's old license. After 30
delinquent days in excess of the 10 days allowed, the licensing privilege
may be revoked, at the discretion of the Police Commissioner, for
a period of time not exceeding six months.
A driver's license or permit may at any time be suspended
or revoked by the Police Commissioner when the holder has failed to
comply with any of the provisions hereof or has willfully or knowingly
violated any of the provisions hereof or for a violation of any applicable
ordinance or state law.
There shall be kept in the office of the Police Commissioner
a complete record of each license or permit issued to a driver and
of all renewals, suspensions and revocations thereof, which record
shall be kept on file with the original application of the driver
for a license.
