[Ord. of 6-8-1999; Ord. of 4-10-2007; Ord. of 4-8-2014]
No person shall drive a taxicab, and no owner or person having
the care or management of a taxicab shall employ or suffer any person
to drive the same, other than a person licensed by the City Council.
Such applications shall be approved by the Commissioner of Public
Safety or his designee; provided, however, that the City Clerk may
issue a temporary license to drive a taxicab to any person whose application
has been approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety or his designee,
if such approval is more than five days prior to any scheduled action
on the person's application by the City Council; provided, further,
however, that said temporary license shall only be in effect until
the person's application is acted on by the City Council. On
January 1 and July 1 of each year, taxi operators shall provide the
City Clerk with a list of current drivers. Failure to provide the
list will incur a penalty of $5 per day of noncompliance.
[1-27-1970; Ord. of 11-12-1980; Ord of 3-25-1997; Ord. of 9-27-2005; Ord. of 4-10-2007; Ord. of 2-10-2009]
No taxicab driver's license shall be granted to any person
unless he or she holds a valid license to operate a motor vehicle
in Massachusetts, nor to any person under 18 years of age, nor to
any person who has not held a valid license to operate a motor vehicle
in the United States for a minimum of 12 months. All taxicab driver's
license applications are subject to review of the North Adams Public
Safety Department, which shall determine whether such applicant is
a suitable such license. In no event shall a license be issued to
anyone who has had a conviction for operating under the influence,
or a like offense in another state, within the past 60 months, or
who has had two such convictions in a lifetime, nor to anyone who
has had his or her license to operate a motor vehicle revoked by Massachusetts
or another state for a moving vehicle violation within 60 months,
nor to anyone who has an outstanding arrest warrant, nor to anyone
who has a violent felony conviction that may deem unsuitable, nor
to anyone who has an active "no contact" restraining order against
them, nor to any person known to be taking medications that would
hinder his or her driving ability. A license may be revoked or suspended
if the North Adams Public Safety Department determines that a licensee
is no longer a suitable person or is otherwise disqualified by this
section.
Such applicant or taxi company representative shall appear before
the City Council at which meeting the license is acted upon. If the
applicant or taxi company representative fails to appear, the application
shall be postponed until the next regular meeting of the City Council.
Failure to appear at the second meeting shall require a new application
and fee to be submitted before a license is issued.
If such license, once granted, is not obtained from the City
Clerk's office within five days, it shall be automatically revoked
and the City Clerk shall so inform the taxi operator noted on the
application.
All taxicab drivers' licenses shall be numbered in order
as granted, shall be recorded in the office of the City Clerk and,
unless sooner suspended or revoked, shall continue in force until
the 31st day of December next after the date of issuance thereof.
[6-27-1972, § 3]
The City Clerk, when issuing a license under this division,
shall deliver to the licensee an identification card, setting forth
the number and term of the license, the name of the licensee and a
personal description of the licensee including his photograph, size
21/4 inches by 31/4 inches, which shall be furnished by the licensee,
age, height, weight, complexion, color of hair and color of eyes.
The licensee shall at all times when driving or in charge of a taxicab
display such card so as to be plainly visible to the occupants thereof
and carry the license under which the taxicab is operated, and he
shall show such whenever so requested by any police officer or passenger.
