[R.O. 2011 §5.80.010; Prior Code §31-1 (part); Ord. No. 4151 §1]
For the purposes of this Chapter, unless it appears that a different
meaning is intended, the following words and phrases shall have the
meanings respectively ascribed to them by this Section:
Any street, alley, boulevard, court, lane or public place
in the City.
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying persons
for hire on the streets of the City, whether the same is operated
from a street stand or from a garage, where no regular or specific
route is traveled, but passengers are taken to and from such places
as they may designate, and the charge therefor is made on the basis
of distance traveled as indicated by a taximeter or fare register.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.020; Code 1950 §1101.2; Prior
Code §31-2; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage
in the business of operating a taxicab upon the streets of the City
without first obtaining a license to do so.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.030; Code 1950 §1101.2; Prior
Code §31-3; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
A.
An
application for a license to engage in the business of operating taxicabs
shall be filed with the Director of Finance. The application shall
be in writing, verified by the affidavit of the applicant, or, if
the applicant be a corporation or a partnership, by its duly authorized
officer or agent, and shall state the following facts:
1.
The full name and address of the applicant; if a partnership, the
names and addresses of all the partners; if a corporation, the names
and addresses of all the officers and directors thereof;
2.
All vehicles in its fleet operated in the metropolitan St. Louis
area have an inspection certificate in accordance with the Missouri
Statutes pertaining to motor vehicles;
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.040; Code 1950 §1101.2; Prior
Code §31-4; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
All vehicles licensed under this Chapter shall have an inspection
certificate issued in accordance with the laws of the State.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.050; Code 1950 §1101.5; Prior
Code §31-7; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
The annual license fee shall be based on the number of taxicabs
engaged in the business of transporting passengers, freight and merchandise
for hire within the limits of the City. The tax on each such motor
vehicle shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00) per taxicab. All licenses
shall expire on the thirty-first (31st) day of December after the
date of issuance; any license issued after the first (1st) day of
July of any year shall be for one-half (½) of the above rate.
All such licenses may thereafter be renewed annually by the first
(1st) day of January in each year upon the payment of the required
fee. In the event of late payment the fee shall be double the amount
provided herein.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.060; Code 1950 §1101.13; Prior
Code §31-8; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
The City Council shall have authority at any time to revoke
any license granted under this Chapter, after first having granted
the owner or operator of such taxicab a hearing on the question of
whether or not such license should be revoked. Upon revocation of
any license, no portion of the license fee shall be refunded.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.070; Code 1950 §1101.6; Prior
Code §31-9; Ord. No. 4423 §1; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4578 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1; Ord. No.
6192, 1999]
Every applicant for a license to operate a taxicab and the owner
of such taxicab shall maintain financial responsibility as required
under and in a manner provided for in Chapter 303, RSMo.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.080; Code 1950 §1101.7; Prior
Code §31-10; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
Every taxicab licensed under this Chapter or authorized to do
business within the City shall be equipped with a fare register or
taximeter which shall indicate the distance traveled and the fare
charged therefor, either in a manner which may be made visible to
the passenger or by a printed receipt containing such information.
It is unlawful to charge any greater amount than that indicated by
the taximeter or fare register.
[R.O. 2011 §5.80.090; Code 1950 §1101.12; Prior
Code §31-16; Ord. No. 4558 §1; Ord. No. 4622 §1]
The Council may authorize the Director of Public Works and Parks
to designate such stands or stopping places for taxicabs as it may
determine, and no taxicab, while waiting for time to depart, shall
stop or stand on any public street or place except at such place as
shall be designated by the Director of Public Works and Parks or upon
such stands as may be established by permission of the Council. While
a taxicab is on a public street or place, passengers shall be solicited
by no other means than by having a printed sign on the vehicle stating
that the same is for hire and the rate of fare, nor shall any driver
or chauffeur of any such vehicle seek employment by repeatedly and
persistently driving his/her taxicab in and about a short space, but
such driver or chauffeur, in addition to the sign on such vehicle
as herein provided, may solicit employment by driving through any
public street or place without stops other than those due to obstruction
of traffic thereon or to temporary traffic signals or rules, may pass
and repass before any theatre, hall, hotel, restaurant, place of amusement
or public resort; provided that after passing any such place, the
driver shall not repass the same until he/she shall have gone a distance
of at least four (4) blocks upon the streets of the City. Five (5)
passengers shall constitute the maximum allowable load to be carried
in a taxicab at any one time. It is unlawful for any licensee to dispatch
a taxicab from the home of any operator living within the City.
