The Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing is hereby created. The Division Head of this division shall be designated by the Director of Department of Transportation and Parking Utility of the City of Hoboken to serve at a commensurate salary. The Division Head of the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing shall be responsible for the enforcement of this section and Chapter
180A of the ordinances of the City of Hoboken pertaining to taxi and limousine service.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
CRUISING
The driving of a taxicab on the streets, alleys or public
places of the City of Hoboken in search of or soliciting prospective
passengers for hire.
DECAL
A sticker issued by the City of Hoboken evidencing licensing
of a "for-hire" vehicle.
DEPARTMENT
The Department of Transportation and Parking Utility.
DIRECTOR
The Director of the Department of Transportation and Parking
Utility.
DISABLED PERSON
A person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits a major life activity (e.g., caring for oneself, walking, seeing,
hearing, speaking, etc.); a person who has a record of such impairment;
or, a person who is regarded as having such impairment. Disabled person
shall also mean a person with a physical impairment which confines
a person to a wheelchair, causes a person to walk with difficulty
or insecurity, affects sight or hearing to the extent that a person
functioning in public areas is insecure or exposed to danger, causes
impaired coordination or reduces mobility, flexibility, coordination
or perceptiveness.
DIVISION HEAD
The individual designated by the Director of Hoboken's
Department of Transportation and Parking Utility of the City of Hoboken
to act as the authority for the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing.
DIVISION OF TAXI AND LIMOUSINE LICENSING
A Division of the Department of Transportation and Parking
Utility of the City of Hoboken which licenses taxicabs and liveries
and enforces the rules and regulations of taxicabs and liveries within
the City boundaries.
GREEN TAXICAB
As a factory installed alternative fuel vehicle, which can
either be a combination of gasoline with electric, ethanol fuel, hydrogen,
electric, LPG or LNG. A diesel engine shall not be deemed as a "green"
taxi. Any "green" taxi as a vehicle will be required to score eight
or higher in the Air Pollution Score as measured by the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency and the vehicle that attains city MPG of 25 miles
per gallon or more in Fuel Economy as published annually by the EPA
and DOE and listed online at www.fueleconomy.gov and meets safety
requirements to make it fit for use as a taxi. The City reserves the
right to set the safety requirements.
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE TAXICAB
A taxicab which meets the federal ADA standards for wheelchair
accessibility, including 49 CFR 37 and accompanying F.R. Vol. 76,
No. 191 of September 19, 2011 (or as hereafter supplemented). Only
vehicles meeting this definition shall be entitled to carry wheelchair-bound
patrons.
[Added 4-2-2014 by Ord.
No. Z-289]
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE TAXICAB LICENSE
A specialized City of Hoboken taxicab license which shall
be subject to all the benefits and obligations of a City of Hoboken
taxicab license found within this chapter, except where the benefits
and obligations of the handicapped accessible taxicab license are
herein described as divergent from that of a general City of Hoboken
taxicab license.
[Added 4-2-2014 by Ord.
No. Z-289]
INSPECTOR
The person or persons empowered or designated by the Department
of Transportation and Parking Utility to perform inspections pursuant
to this chapter.
RATE CARD
A card issued by the City for display in each taxicab which
contains the rate in force.
SERVICE ANIMAL
A guide dog, signal dog or any other animal trained specifically
to work for or to perform tasks for an individual with a disability,
including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with visual impairments,
alerting individuals with hearing impairments, providing minimal protection
or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair or retrieving dropped items.
STARTER
A person in charge of queuing taxicabs and waiting patrons,
and otherwise maintaining order at a taxi stand.
TAXICAB
A motor vehicle regularly engaged in the business of carrying
passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of four persons and
not operated on a fixed route.
TAXICAB LICENSE
An official document of the City of Hoboken which permits
the holder to operate a taxicab for hire within the City limits, subject
to the restrictions found in the Division of Taxi and Limousine's
Rules and Regulations, the Hoboken City Code, and state and federal
laws.
TAXICAB LICENSE HOLDER
An individual, partnership or corporation to whom a taxicab
license has been issued by the City of Hoboken.
TAXICAB OPERATOR'S LICENSE
The official document of the City of Hoboken, conferred by
the City Council, which grants the individual nontransferable permission
to drive a taxicab upon the streets of the City. This term shall not
be construed to mean a driver's license issued by the State of
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. When used throughout this chapter,
the term "operator's license" shall mean the definition as stated
herein. The term "driver's license" shall mean a driver's
license issued by the State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
TAXI STAND
A place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere in the
City reserved exclusively for use by taxicabs and distinctly marked
by a metal sign or stanchion, or by painted markings on the surface
of the streets or curbs.
TRANSFER
To sell or in any other manner relinquish control of the
taxicab license by the license holder or its majority shareholder(s),
in cases where the license holder is a corporate entity. In cases
of corporate license holders, the Division Head shall, in his or her
discretion, determine whether a change of control has occurred, subject
to the approval of the Director of the Department of Transportation
and Parking Utility.
TRIP SHEET
A daily record prepared by a taxicab driver of all trips
made by the driver, showing time and place of origin, destination,
number of passengers and the amount of fare of each trip. The trip
sheet shall also contain the driver's name, and the time he or
she reported on and off duty.
WAITING TIME
The time when a taxicab is not in motion following the time
of acceptance of a passenger or passengers until the time of discharge,
when that time not in motion is the result of the actions or request
of the passenger or passengers.
[Amended 3-20-2019 by Ord. No. B-114]
A. No taxicab license application shall be considered and no taxicab
license shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant or holder
thereof has paid the annual fee of $50 for each vehicle operated under
a City taxi license. The license fee shall be for the period of April
1 through March 31 of the succeeding year and be in addition to any
other license fee or charges established by proper authority and applicable
to the holder of the vehicle or vehicles under his operation and control.
[Amended 4-23-2019 by Ord. No. B-128]
B. For the 2019 license renewal period, the license fee will be due
on May 1, 2019, and all licenses current as of the enactment of this
chapter will be considered up-to-date and valid until that time.
No person shall operate a taxicab for hire upon the streets
of the City without a taxicab operator's license. No person who
owns or controls a taxicab license from the City shall permit a person
without a taxicab operator's license to operate under their taxicab
license within the City. In the event, an operator misplaces his or
her operator's license, he or she must:
A. Report it to the Hoboken Police Department;
B. Provide the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing with a copy
of the police report and two passport pictures; and,
C. Pay $25 to the City of Hoboken to reimburse the City for its administrative
cost to issue a replacement license.
Each applicant for an initial taxicab operator's license
shall be examined by an Inspector of the Division of Taxi and Limousine
as to his or her knowledge of the provisions of this chapter, the
laws regarding motor vehicles within this state, traffic regulations,
and geography of the City. The examination shall require the applicant
to demonstrate his or her skills and ability to safely and efficiently
operate a taxicab. If the applicant cannot demonstrate his or her
abilities satisfactorily he or she shall be denied a taxicab operator's
license. Driver examinations shall be required for renewal applicants
at the discretion of the Director.
A nonrefundable taxicab operator's license application
fee of $75 must be paid directly to the Division of Taxi and Limousine
Licensing before any application documents will be distributed or
considered by the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing.
Every taxicab driver licensed under this chapter shall post
his or her taxicab operator's license and a rate book in a glass
or plastic enclosed bracket within eye level of seated rear passengers
and in a manner as to be readily identifiable and legible. A passenger
and/or potential passenger has a right to view the driver's rate
book at any time upon verbal request.
Every taxicab driver licensed under provisions of this chapter
shall comply with all federal and state laws and regulations and all
City ordinances relating to the use, operation and occupancy of motor
vehicles and taxicabs. The failure to do so will be cause for suspension,
revocation, or other penalty as the Director determines.
[Amended 8-7-2013 by Ord. No. Z-246; 12-4-2013 by Ord. No. Z-259]
The maximum rates of fare allowable for taxicabs licensed by
the City of Hoboken shall be as follows:
A. Maximum allowable intra-City fares. The maximum allowable fare for
intra-City taxi service shall be $8, except for taxi service initiating
from the taxi stand at the New Jersey Transit/PATH station, which
shall have a maximum intra-City fare of $7.
[Amended 4-23-2019 by Ord. No. B-128]
B. Additional allowable fees.
[Amended 4-23-2019 by Ord. No. B-128]
(1)
If cab rides are shared with the consent of the first rider(s),
the fee may be increased by $7 so long as the second rider(s) is not
going to the same exact destination. There shall be no more than two
paying passengers per shared ride. The right of the taxicab operator
to transport shared rides applies only at taxi stands designated by
the City of Hoboken if there are more passengers than available taxis.
The first rider must be taken to his or her destination first.
(2)
If a taxi picks up a party of more than one person at the taxi
stand at the New Jersey Transit/PATH station for intra-City travel,
the taxi driver may charge an additional fee of $1 for each additional
person, which fee shall be in addition to the allowable fare of $7,
except that there shall be no additional charge for children under
the age of 13 years old.
C. Allowable baggage fees. In addition to the aforesaid rates, there
shall be a charge of $0.50 for each bag exceeding two, with which
a driver assists a passenger, except that senior citizens shall not
be subject to this fee.
D. Maximum allowable non-intra-City fares. Every driver must have a
City-approved rate book in the vehicle at all times and must use the
rates included in the book.
The driver of a taxicab shall, upon request by the passenger,
provide him or her a receipt for the amount charged, either by a mechanically
printed receipt or by a specially prepared receipt on which shall
be the name of the owner, driver's name, license number of the
taxicab, date and the amount paid for fare. Only one receipt per fare
shall be provided.
No person shall refuse to pay the legal fare of any taxicab
or vehicle mentioned in this chapter after having hired same. No person
shall hire any such taxicab or vehicle with intent to defraud the
person from whom it was hired of the value of such service.
All persons engaged in the taxicab business in the City operating
under provisions of this chapter shall render an overall acceptable
service to the public desiring to use taxicabs. They shall answer
all calls received by them for service inside the City as soon as
practical and, if the service cannot be rendered within a reasonable
time, they shall notify the prospective passenger how long it will
be before the call can be answered and give the reason thereof. Any
holder who shall refuse to accept a call anywhere in the City at any
time when such holder has available taxicabs on duty, or who shall
fail or refuse to give overall acceptable service, shall be deemed
a violator of this chapter. The license granted to such holder shall
be revoked at the discretion of the Division of Taxi and Limousine
Licensing after notice of charges and hearing.
Every taxicab driver shall maintain a daily trip sheet upon
which is recorded all trips made each day, showing time and place
of origin, destination of each trip, amount of fare, name of driver,
and the times he or she reported on and off duty. All such completed
trip sheets shall be returned to the owner of the taxicab by the driver
at the conclusion of his tour of duty. The form of each trip sheet
shall be furnished to the driver by the owner and shall be of a character
approved by the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing. Copies of
all daily trip sheets for each vehicle shall be maintained in an accessible
format by the owner for a period of at least one license year.
Subject to required licensing and approval by appropriate authorities,
including the Director and the Division of Taxi and Limousine Licensing,
owners may use radios to dispatch taxicabs.
Unless otherwise specified herein, any person violating any
provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof before the
Municipal Court, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment
for a period not exceeding one year, or both, the amount of such fine
and imprisonment subject to the above limitation, to be determined
by the sound discretion of the Municipal Judge. In addition to the
aforementioned penalties, and as provided for herein, violations of
this chapter may subject the license to suspension or revocation as
provided for herein.
Any ordinances adopted concerning taxicabs and taxicab drivers
previously adopted by the City of Hoboken are hereby specifically
repealed.
Should any part of this chapter be declared invalid all other
parts shall remain in full force and effect.