[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Watertown
as §§ 9.17 and 9.20 of the former City Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic regulations — See Ch. 500.
"Taxicab" means a motor vehicle regularly engaged in the business
of carrying passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of fewer
than eight persons, and not operated on a fixed route. The term shall
not include:
No owner shall operate or cause to be operated a taxicab within
the City without obtaining a license therefor.
A.
Application for a taxicab license to operate one or more taxicabs
or an application to operate additional taxicabs under an existing
license shall be made in writing to the City Clerk upon forms furnished
by him, giving the address from which the business is conducted, and
signed by the owner of the business or his authorized agent. The application
shall also state, for each vehicle to be operated, the make, model
and year of manufacture; the engine number; serial number; capacity
for passengers; and the Wisconsin certificate of title number and
license number.
[Amended 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
B.
The application shall be submitted by the City Clerk to the Chairperson
of the Licensing Board, who shall set a date for a public hearing
before the Licensing Board to examine the public convenience and necessity
of granting the license. The City Clerk shall notify the applicant
of the time and place set for the hearing.
[Amended by Ord. No. 77-38; 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
C.
Not later than 30 days after the hearing, the Board shall submit
to the Common Council its recommendations as to whether public convenience
and necessity will be served by the granting of the application. No
license shall be granted until the Council shall, by resolution, have
determined that the public convenience and necessity will be served
by the service proposed in the application for license. The Council
may hold such further hearings and procure such additional information
as it may deem necessary or advisable in making such determination.
The taxicab license fee shall be as set by the Common Council
and provided under separate fee schedule per year or any fractional
part thereof for each vehicle operated by the same licensee. The license
year shall commence July 1 and end June 30.
A.
No taxicab license shall be issued until the applicant deposits with
the City Clerk a policy of liability insurance covering all vehicles
to be included under the license. Such policy shall describe each
vehicle by make, model and serial number; number of passengers capable
of being accommodated therein at one time; and the number of state
motor vehicle license. Such insurance policy shall be issued by a
company licensed to do business in Wisconsin and shall insure against
loss from liability to the amount of $15,000 for the injury or death
of one person in any one accident and in the amount of $30,000 for
the injury or death of more than one person in any one accident and
in the amount of $10,000 for damage to property of others for any
one accident due to negligent operation of such vehicle.
[Amended by Ord. No. 79-47; 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
B.
The policy of insurance shall be approved by the City Attorney as
to legal form before it is filed and shall contain a provision that
the same may not be cancelled before the expiration of its term except
upon 10 days' written notice to the City.
C.
The cancellation or other termination of any insurance policy issued
in compliance with this section shall automatically revoke and terminate
all licenses issued for the vehicle covered by such insurance policy,
unless another policy shall have been filed and approved pursuant
to this section and shall be in effect at the time of such cancellation
or termination.
[Amended 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
Upon application for license, or any renewal thereof, the applicant
shall file with the City Clerk a schedule of fares to be charged.
Such fares shall not be changed during the license year without approval
of the Common Council. No licensee or operator shall charge any rate
other than the established rate.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 9.17(7), which immediately
followed this section, was repealed by Ord. No. 96-4.
A.
Identification. All taxicabs shall be suitably marked or identified
as such.
C.
Number of passengers limited. No owner or operator shall carry or
permit to be carried in any taxicab more than the number of passengers
specified on the license applicable to the taxicab.
D.
Operator not to drink. No person operating a taxicab shall drink
any intoxicating beverage or be under the influence thereof while
so engaged.
[Amended by Ord. No. 75-8]
A taxicab license may be revoked by the Common Council for a
violation of this chapter, any provision of Chs. 340 to 348, Wis.
Stats., the City traffic ordinances or for any offense affecting the
safety and welfare of passengers. The Licensing Board shall investigate
any charges made against a licensee and conduct a hearing on such
charges with notice to the licensee, and if the Licensing Board recommends
revocation of the license, such revocation shall be recommended to
the Council. At the time the revocation is being considered by the
Council, the licensee will have the opportunity to be heard and to
present evidence to the Council.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of this Code. Each violation and each day a violation continues or occurs shall constitute a separate offense. This action shall not preclude the City from maintaining any appropriate action to prevent or remove a violation of this chapter.
