As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated in N.J.S.A. 48:16-1, as amended and supplemented: "autocab," "person" and "street."
No person, firm or corporation shall engage in the taxicab business, nor shall be/she/it operate or permit a taxicab owned or controlled by him/her/it to be operated as a vehicle for hire upon the streets of this municipality, without first having obtained a taxicab license from the municipality.
No license shall be issued or renewed unless the holder thereof has paid an annual license fee of $25 for the right to engage in the taxicab business. Said license shall be for the year ending on the 30th day of June and shall be in addition to any other fee or charges established by proper authorities and applicable to said holder for the vehicle or vehicles under his or her operation and control.
Application for a license shall be filed with the Township Clerk upon forms provided by the municipality, and said application shall be verified under oath and shall furnish the following:
A. 
The name and address of the applicant; where the applicant is not a natural person, the name and address of all owners or participants in the ownership of the legal entity and all officers, directors or others of like position, whatever be their title.
B. 
The year, type and model of the vehicle for which the license is desired.
C. 
The number of persons the vehicle is capable of carrying.
D. 
The operator's license number.
E. 
The taxicab license number.
Each applicant (or principals thereof) for such license shall present him- or herself at the office of the Police Department and permit his or her fingerprints to be taken by the said Police Department and have said fingerprints, or a copy thereof, submitted to the Township with the application for said license. The Chief of Police or, in his or her absence, the person in charge of said Police Department, is hereby charged with the duty and responsibility of forwarding a copy of the fingerprints of each applicant to the New Jersey State Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the request that the criminal records of the subject be furnished to the local Police Department. After such information is received from either the New Jersey State Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chief of Police or, in his or her absence, the person in charge of said Police Department, shall furnish the Township Council, in a timely fashion, with any information obtained from any source concerning said applicant or applicants. No license shall be granted to any applicant until the Township Council is satisfied that the applicant (or any principal) does not have any criminal record or reputation which would render the applicant unfit to have such license.
In order to ensure the safety of the public, it shall be unlawful for the holder to operate or cause or permit a taxicab to be operated, nor shall any license be issued hereunder, until and unless the applicant shall have complied with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 48:16-1 to 48:16-12, and the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto; provided, however, that an insurance policy of a company duly licensed to transact business under the insurance laws of the state has been filed, conditioned for the payment of a sum of not less than $100,000 to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily injury to, or the death of, any one person, resulting from an accident and for a sum of not less than $300,000 to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily injuries to, or the death of, all persons, on account of any accident, by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of such taxicab upon any public street; and for a sum of $5,000 to satisfy any claim for damages to property.
If the Township Council finds that the applicant is fit, willing and able to perform such public transportation in accordance with the provisions of this article and the rules promulgated by the Township Council, then the Township Clerk shall issue a license stating the name and address of the applicant, the date of issuance and the year, type and model of the vehicles; otherwise, the application shall be denied.
No taxicab license shall be assigned, mortgaged, pledged or otherwise transferred to secure a debt, loan, advance or other financing transaction.
The following regulations shall hereafter apply to all taxicabs licensed hereafter in this municipality:
A. 
The owner of each taxicab shall forthwith file with the Township Clerk and the Chief of Police a typewritten or printed, signed schedule showing the dates, hours, locations and telephone numbers in this Township at which the said taxicab will be on a recognized taxicab stand, with qualified operator, ready to serve the public, subject to times when actually on call, i.e., making a service.
B. 
Hereafter, each time a taxicab license is applied for, the applicant shall file with his or her application, and as part thereof, a new schedule as aforesaid. When a new license is granted or a license is renewed, the licensee shall forthwith furnish the Chief of Police with a copy of the current schedule of said taxicab.
C. 
Each licensed taxicab shall at all times, as set forth in its schedule, be at its designated stand, with qualified operator, ready to serve the public, subject to times actually in call, i.e., making a service.
D. 
If during the licensed period any owner of such a licensed taxicab shall find that it is impossible or impractical to comply with the schedule such owner has filed, such owner shall immediately file a written notice with the Township Clerk and the Chief of Police, stating when the taxicab went out of public service and the reason therefor, such as damaged by accident, necessary repairs, inability to get competent driver, illness of driver or whatsoever may be the reason for nonoperation of the taxicab. When a taxicab is returned to public service, written notice thereof shall be immediately filed by the owner with said Township Clerk and Chief of Police. The Township Council shall review the number and extent of the periods when each taxicab has been out of public service during the previous licensing period when giving consideration on the question of renewal or transfer.
A. 
No person shall operate a taxicab for hire upon the streets of the municipality, and no person, firm or corporation who owns or controls a taxicab shall permit it to be driven, and no taxicab licensed by the municipality shall be so driven at any time for hire, unless the driver of said taxicab shall have first obtained and shall have then in force a taxicab driver's permit under the provisions of this article.
B. 
Every person applying for a permit to drive a taxicab must furnish satisfactory evidence that he or she holds a current driver's license under the New Jersey State Motor Vehicle Law and shall continue to hold same as long as he or she operates said taxicab.
Each applicant for a permit must conform to the following regulations:
A. 
Be of the age of 21 years or over.
B. 
Present the certificate of a reputable physician showing that he or she has been examined within 60 days and that he or she is 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 him or her unfit for the safe operation of a taxicab.
C. 
Be able to read, write and understand the English language and be a citizen of the United States.
D. 
Not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, sex offenses, violence, force, and/or threat of bodily injury.
E. 
Not be addicted to the use of narcotics or intoxicating liquors.
F. 
Not have received a dishonorable discharge from any branch of the Armed Services of the United States or National Guard and not be a member of a party advocating the overthrow of constitutional government.
G. 
Be fingerprinted by the Police Department of this Township within 20 days prior to making application for a permit.
H. 
Have a good reputation for honesty and morality in the community in which he or she resides.
The applicant for said permit shall fill out, upon a form provided by the Township, his or her full name, residence, places of residence for the preceding five years, age, height, color of eyes and hair, place of birth, last previous employment, whether married or single, whether he or she has ever been convicted of a crime (and, if so, nature, date and penalty), which statement shall be signed and filed with the Township Clerk as a permanent record. The applicant shall also furnish four copies of a photograph taken within the preceding 30 days, size two inches by two inches, front view.
Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the requirements hereof, there shall be issued by the Township Clerk, at the direction of the Township Council, to the applicant, a driver's permit card which shall contain the photograph and permit number of the permittee.
The permit and photograph shall be displayed in plain view in the interior of the taxicab at all times the taxicab is being operated by said permittee.
Each permit shall expire June 30 next succeeding. A fee shall be paid for each permit, if granted, or for each application and refusal of a permit. The said fees are fixed and imposed for regulations.
All holders of licenses engaged in the taxicab business in the Township of Jackson, operating under the provisions of this article, shall render an overall service to the public desiring to use taxicabs. They shall answer all calls received by them for services inside the corporate limits of the municipality as soon as they can do so, and if said services cannot be rendered within a reasonable time, they shall then notify the prospective passenger how long it will be before the said call can be answered and give the reason therefor. Any holder who shall refuse to accept a call anywhere in the municipality any time when such holder has available cab or cabs, or who shall fail or refuse to give overall service, shall be deemed a violator of this article.
Every holder shall require the driver to keep a daily record, identified by the cab number of the cab used that day and the permit number of the driver, of the time and place when and where the passenger was accepted, as well as the time and place of the discharge of the passenger, together with the fare received for the trip, which record the holder shall keep intact for 90 days from the date thereof, and shall be kept open at all times for inspection by a duly authorized representative of the Police Department.
No driver shall solicit passengers for a taxicab except when sitting in the driver's compartment of such taxicab or while standing immediately adjacent to the curbside thereof.
No driver shall solicit patronage in a loud tone of voice or in any manner annoy any person or obstruct the movement of any person or follow any person for the purpose of soliciting patronage.
Drivers of taxicabs shall not receive or discharge passengers in the roadway but shall pull up to the right-hand sidewalk as nearly as possible or, in the absence of a sidewalk, to the extreme right-hand side of the road and there receive or discharge passengers, except upon one-way streets where passengers may be discharged at either the right- or left-hand sidewalk or side of the roadway in the absence of a sidewalk.
No driver shall cruise in search of passengers except in such areas and at such times as may be designated by the Chief of Police. Such areas and times shall only be designated when the Chief of Police finds that taxicab cruising would not congest traffic or be dangerous to pedestrians and other vehicles.
A. 
No driver shall permit any other person to occupy or ride in said taxicab unless the person or persons first employing a taxicab shall consent to the acceptance of an additional passenger or passengers.
B. 
No charge shall be made for an additional passenger except when the additional passenger rides beyond the previous passenger's destination, and then for only the additional distance so traveled.
No driver shall refuse or neglect to carry any person or persons upon their request, unless previously engaged or unable or forbidden by the provisions of this article to do so.
It shall be a violation of this article for any driver of a taxicab to solicit business for any hotels, motels, rooming houses, bars, taverns, restaurants, theaters and the like, or to attempt to divert patronage from one such place to another.
No taxicab, while waiting for employment by passengers, shall stand on any public street or space other than at or upon a taxicab stand designated or established in accordance with this article, nor shall any driver of such taxicab seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving his or her taxicab to and fro in a short space before, or by otherwise interfering with the proper and orderly access to or egress from, any theater, hall, hotel, public resort or other place of gathering.
No driver of any taxicab shall induce any prospective passenger to employ him or her, knowingly misinforming or misleading any such passenger either as to time or place of arrival or departure of any train, motor vehicle or airplane, or as to the location of any hotel, public place or private residence, or as to the distance between any two points, nor shall such driver deceive or make false representations to any prospective passenger by conveying such passenger to any other place or over any other route than that to which such passenger may have instructed the driver to go.
Every owner shall be responsible for the operation of the vehicle for which the license has been granted regardless of the legal relationship between such owner and the driver of such vehicle.
The driver, while engaged in the operation of a taxicab, shall conduct him- or herself in a gentlemanly or gentlewomanly manner, and he or she shall not use any indecent, profane or insulting language while engaged in such operation.
Every driver of a taxicab, immediately after the termination of any hiring or employment, must carefully search such taxicab for any property lost or left therein, and any such property, unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner, shall, as soon as possible, be turned over to the Police Department.