The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where
the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
CRUISING
The driving of an empty taxicab along a public street at
a slow rate of speed for the obvious purpose of soliciting passengers.
OPERATION OF A TAXICAB
The transporting of one or more persons in a taxicab for
hire. Accepting a passenger to be transported for hire from a point
of departure within the municipality to a destination within or outside
the municipality shall be considered operation of a taxicab within
the municipality. The operation of a taxicab by one other than the
owner shall be deemed operation by the owner as well as by the person
actually driving the taxi. The transportation of any person other
than the owner or operator in any motor vehicle bearing a sign using
the word "taxi," "taxicab," "cab" or "hack" shall be prima facie evidence
of operation.
OWNER
Any person in whose name title to any taxicab is registered
with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission or who appears in the
Commission's records to be a conditional vendee or lessee or has any
other proprietary interest in a taxicab or limousine.
PERSON
Any individual, copartnership, association, corporation or
joint-stock company, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed
by any court whatsoever.
PUBLIC TAXICAB STANDS
A section of a public street or of a public place set apart
for the exclusive use of a taxicab or a limited number of taxicabs,
when such section is distinctly marked as such by an appropriate sign
attached to a stanchion on the curb or other conspicuous place or
by clearly visible marks upon the surface of a street or public place.
STREET
Any street, avenue, park, highway or other public place.
TAXICAB or TAXI
Any automobile, sport utility vehicle, crossover vehicle,
minivan, or motor car, engaged in the business of carrying passengers
for hire which is held out announced or advertised to operate or run
or which is operated or run over any of the streets or public highways
of this state, and particularly accepts and discharges such persons
as may offer themselves for transportation from points or places within
or without the state. The capacity of any taxicab or taxi under this
definition shall not exceed seven passengers.
TAXIMETER
A mechanical instrument or device by which the charge for
hire of a taxicab is mechanically calculated, either for the distance
traveled or for waiting time, or for both, and upon which such charge
shall be plainly indicated by means of figures, and which shall be
inspected and calibrated by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney
General, Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Weights and Measures
as least annually.
The governing body of the municipality may designate taxicab
stands within its jurisdiction if and when it shall deem such action
necessary for the convenience of the public, but no designation shall
become effective until the designation has been approved and adopted
by ordinance by the governing body. When a taxicab stand has been
designated, fixed or established, the following regulations shall
apply:
A. All designated taxicab stands shall be open to all taxicabs for which
an owner's license has been issued under this article.
B. Only taxicabs in such numbers as shall be set forth on the sign designating
any taxicab stand shall remain at any such stand while waiting for
employment, and taxicabs shall remain in single file.
C. No operator of a taxicab standing at the head of any line shall refuse
to transport any orderly person applying for a taxicab who agrees
to pay the proper rate of fare; provided, however, that this provision
shall not prevent any prospective passenger from selecting a taxicab
at any stand, whether or not it shall be at the head of the line.
As a taxicab shall leave the line or move forward, the taxicab behind
it shall be moved forward, and the operator of a taxicab seeking a
space at the stand shall approach from the rear of the stand and shall
stop as near as possible to the last taxicab then in line. No taxicab
shall stand at any place in or upon any of the streets or highways
or any other public place within the municipality awaiting employment
for hire excepting at designated taxicab stands.
D. No taxicab shall stand within 25 feet of the nearest crosswalk or
sideline of a street or intersecting highway, except at alleys, or
within 50 feet of a stop sign, or within 50 feet of the near right-hand
corner of any street upon which any autobus route is established and
approved by the Board of Public Utility Commissioners, or within 20
feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station, or within 10 feet
of any fire hydrant.
E. No taxicab operator shall stand in front of the entrance to any building
within any prohibited space after his passengers desiring to alight
have done so or stand in the prohibited space waiting for passengers.
F. No taxicab operator shall, while engaged in employment, engage in
conversation with persons upon any street, highway or public place
except in the course of his/her business or suffer or permit any person
to loiter in or about the taxicab of which he is the operator.
G. No vehicle other than a licensed taxicab shall stop at any public
taxicab stand except while loading or unloading goods, wares or merchandise
or receiving or discharging passengers.
H. Each taxicab stand shall be marked with a suitable stanchion, which
shall bear the statement that the stand is a stand reserved for licensees
only and shall designate the number of taxicabs which may occupy the
stand.
I. All duly licensed taxicabs of the participating municipal areas may
stand at any designated taxi stand in the participating municipalities.
Each participating municipality will designate its own taxi stands
for its own municipality, which shall then be distributed to the respective
clerks of the other participating municipalities for distribution
to its licensees.
Any person who shall be aggrieved by any decision shall be entitled
to appeal to the governing body of the municipality in which the offense
occurred within 30 days of the receipt of the decision by filing a
written request for review by the governing body with the Municipal
Clerk within the thirty-day period.
Each participating municipality will require the metering of
its taxicabs in accordance with the standards hereafter upon the enforcement
date of this article.
A. Each taxicab shall have affixed thereto a taximeter of a size and
design approved by the panel of municipal clerks of the participating
municipal areas. Each taximeter shall be so placed that the dial thereof
shall at all times be within the plain view of all passengers in the
vehicle.
B. No license for a taxicab shall be issued until the taximeter attached
thereto shall have been inspected and found to be accurate.
C. No person shall use or permit to be used upon any taxicab a taximeter
which shall be in such a condition as to be more than 5% incorrect
to the prejudice of any passenger.
D. The face or dial of every taximeter shall be illuminated by a suitable
light, which shall be so arranged as to throw a continuous steady
light thereon from one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.
E. No person shall use or drive for hire or permit to be so used or
driven any taxicab equipped with a taximeter the case of which is
unsealed or the cover or gear of which shall not be intact.
F. No operator of any taxicab equipped with a taximeter shall, while
carrying any passenger or under employment, display the signal affixed
to the taximeter in such a position as to indicate that he is then
employed at a rate of fare different from that to which he is entitled
under the provisions of this article.
G. No person shall drive or permit to be driven any taxicab to which
is attached a taximeter which shall not have been duly inspected and
approved.
H. It shall be the duty of the police to cause all taximeters used in
the municipality to be examined, inspected and sealed at least once
in every period of 12 months; provided, however, that if any complaint
that any taximeter registers improperly or inaccurately shall be made
to the police it shall be the duty of the police to cause the taximeter
complained of to be immediately inspected and examined. If the taximeter
shall be found to be in such condition that it does not properly and
accurately register, indicate or display the time consumed by the
taxicab while in waiting, the distance traveled and the amount of
the fare to be determined and charged therefor, then it shall be unlawful
for the taxicab to be used for the transportation of any passenger
for hire until the taxicab shall be equipped with a taximeter approved
by the police.
I. Every taximeter shall be tested by running the taxicab to which it
is attached either over a course of a standard mile in length or by
a mechanical test to prove the accuracy of the register thereof. Both
of such tests may be made in the discretion of the police. In order
to determine whether any taximeter correctly registers waiting time,
the taximeter shall be tested by comparing the time recorded thereon
with the actual elapsed time.
J. It shall be the duty of any person owning, controlling or operating
any taxicab to deliver either the taxicab with the taximeter or the
taximeter detached therefrom to any inspector designated by the police
for the purpose of making any test upon demand.
For the purpose of this article, the following words and terms
shall have the meanings given herein:
LIMOUSINE
Any automobile or motor car, commonly called a limousine,
used in the business of carrying passengers for hire, which is held
out, announced or advertised to operate or run or which is operated
or run over any of the streets or public highways of this Township
and which is hired by charter; for a particular contract; by the day,
hour or other fixed period; to transport passengers to a specified
place or places; or which charges a fare or price agreed upon in advance
between the operator and the passenger.
LIMOUSINE SERVICE
Includes the business of carrying passengers for hire by
limousines.
General. No limousine owner's license shall be granted unless
the applicant meets the requirements set forth in this section.
A. Citizenship or visa. The applicant must be a citizen of the United
States or a legal resident alien. If the applicant is a partnership,
then each partner must be a citizen of the United States or a legal
resident alien.
B. Authorization to do business. If the applicant is a corporation,
the corporation must either be incorporated in the State of New Jersey
or authorized to do business in this state.
C. Convictions. The applicant shall not have been convicted of any crime
and/or disorderly persons offense involving moral turpitude, including,
but not limited to, conviction for possession and/or distribution
of pornography, conviction for possession and/or distribution of controlled
dangerous substances, all elements included under the New Jersey statute
prohibiting prostitution, sexual offenses or physical violence against
persons or property within 10 years next preceding the date of application
for license, unless the police, for good cause shown, shall waive
any disqualification based on such conviction. If the applicant is
a partnership, then no partner may have such record. If the applicant
is a corporation, then neither the corporation nor any officer or
director may have such record.
D. Prior license revocations. The applicant must have no record of prior
revocation by any jurisdiction of a license related to the limousine
business. If the applicant is a partnership, then no partner may have
such record. If the applicant is a corporation, then neither the corporation
not any officer or director may have such record.
E. Insurance.
(1) The applicant must have complied with the provision of N.J.S.A. 48:16-1
et seq., and the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto,
relating to insurance.
(2) In the event of the cancellation of a licensee's insurance, the license
shall terminate upon the effective date of the cancellation, unless
prior thereto the insurance has been reinstated by withdrawal of the
cancellation or a new policy of insurance is delivered to the Municipal
Clerk for the remainder of the license year.
General. No limousine operator's license shall be granted unless
the applicant meets the requirements set forth in this section.
A. Age. The applicant must be of the age of 21 years or over and a citizen
of the United State or a legal resident alien.
B. New Jersey driver's license. The applicant must have a valid driver's
license issued by the State of New Jersey with no suspensions or revocations
of license in any jurisdiction for the preceding two years, except
for suspensions and revocations purely administrative in nature.
C. Motor vehicle infractions. The applicant may not have been convicted
of reckless driving, driving while intoxicated or under the influence
of drugs, or leaving the scene of an accident within three years of
the application.
D. Disability or illness. The applicant must have no disability or illness
of any type which poses a significant risk of substantial harm to
the applicant or others if he/she is granted a license to drive a
limousine.
E. English language. The applicant must be able to speak, read and write
the English language.
F. Fingerprints. The applicant, at the time of making the initial application,
must have his/her fingerprints taken and filed with the police of
the municipality.
G. Knowledge of law, regulations and geography of the Township. The
applicant must have a thorough knowledge of the provisions of this
article, the Motor Vehicle Act, the Traffic Act and other ordinances
and regulations having to do with traffic and the geography of the
Township.
Any person who shall be aggrieved by any decision shall be entitled
to appeal to the governing body of the municipality in which the offense
occurred within 30 days of the receipt of the decision by filing a
written request for review by the governing body with the Municipal
Clerk within the thirty-day period.