[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Orange Township 11-8-1995 by Ord. No. 27-95; amended in its entirety 9-3-2002 by Ord. No. 14-2002. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "City of Orange Township Auto Liveries Ordinance."
Whenever used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTO LIVERY
Includes any automobile or motor car used in the business of carrying passengers for hire from private property either by the trip, hour or day or longer period of time, and, which does not solicit passengers for hire upon public streets of the City of Orange Township; or any automobile or vehicle engaged in carrying passengers for hire or under any agreement for compensation, or otherwise, on the streets or public highways of the City of Orange Township. The seating capacity of the livery vehicle shall not exceed fourteen (14) passengers, not including the driver.
CITY
The City of Orange Township.
DIRECTOR OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Director of the Orange Police Department of the City of Orange Township.
OWNED
Owned, rented or leased.
PERSON
Any individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, corporation or other organization, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any Court whatsoever, and the singular or plural and masculine, feminine or neuter thereof, unless the contrary is clearly expressed.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Police Department of the City of Orange Township.
The approval of the auto livery inspection, the investigation of applicants for licenses to operate such vehicles as owners thereof and the investigation of applicants to operate or drive auto liveries, as hereinafter provided in this chapter, and the enforcing thereof, shall be under the control of the Director of the Police Department who may and is hereby authorized and empowered to delegate such function.
No auto livery may be operated upon the streets of this city unless the owner thereof shall first obtain and possess an auto livery license, issued by the office of the City Clerk, for each and every auto livery such owner intends to operate in the city. Also, no person shall operate an auto livery upon the streets of this city, and no person who owns or controls an auto livery shall permit it to be operated upon the streets of this city, unless the driver of said auto livery shall first obtain and possess an auto livery driver's license issued by the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
All licenses issued under this chapter shall be issued to expire on the 31st day of March next succeeding the date of issuance, unless sooner suspended or revoked by the Director of the Police Department as hereinafter provided in Section 189-21.
The following license fees shall be payable to the Clerk of the city upon initial issuance and each renewal:
A. 
The fee for an auto livery owner's license shall be fifty dollars ($50.) per year, per each auto livery, and the fee for any such license issued on or after September 1 of any year shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.).
B. 
The fee for an auto livery driver's license shall be one hundred dollars ($100.) per year and the fee for any such license issued on or after September 1 of any year shall be fifty dollars ($50.)
A. 
Applications for licenses issued hereunder shall be made upon blank forms prepared and made available by the office of the City Clerk in which the applicant shall state under oath:
(1) 
The name, place of business, name of the company (if any), and resident address of the applicant and whether the vehicle is owned, rented or leased.
(2) 
Description of automobile or vehicle for which the license is desired, including year, make, model, type, serial number of body, color, bill of sale number, state registration number and seating capacity.
(3) 
Such other information which the Director of the Police Department shall deem necessary or proper to effectuate the purpose of this chapter and to determine whether there has been compliance with the terms thereof.
B. 
Application required; compliance; misrepresentation.
(1) 
No person shall be permitted to own and operate an auto livery in this city until he shall have made application upon such form as provided by the City Clerk's office for an auto livery owner's license and until such license shall first be issued by the City Clerk's office upon the approval and recommendation of the Police Department that the provisions hereof have been complied with. Each applicant for a license to own and operate an auto livery under the terms of this chapter must conform to the following conditions and regulations:
(a) 
Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and be a resident of the State of New Jersey for one (1) year or more prior to the date of application.
(b) 
Be a licensed automobile driver of the State of New Jersey in accordance with the motor vehicle laws, and must have had such for a period of at least one (1) year prior to granting of a license hereunder.
(c) 
Be able to read and write the English language.
(d) 
Be a citizen of the United States.
(e) 
Not use narcotics or be addicted to intoxicating liquors.
(f) 
Produce character references from two (2) respectable citizens of the City of Orange Township.
(g) 
Complete, upon such form to be provided by the office of the City Clerk, a statement giving said applicant's business and home residence for the preceding five (5) years, age, race, height, weight, color of eyes, length of time applicant has resided in the City of Orange Township, place of previous employment, whether married or single, whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, how long the applicant has been a licensed automobile driver of the State of New Jersey and whether his automobile driver's license has ever been revoked, and if so, for what cause, and such other reasonable information as the Police Department may require. All applications herein shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant and filed with the City Clerk who shall forward the same to the Police Department.
(h) 
Provide three (3) passport type photographs and pay fifteen dollars ($15.) to be fingerprinted by the Police Department. One (1) of the photographs shall be attached to the license.
(i) 
Maintain a central place of business within the city.
(2) 
Any misrepresentation of any material fact shall be cause for the refusal or the revocation of such a license.
A. 
Within thirty (30) days after receipt of an application by the Police Department as herein provided, the Director of the Police Department shall cause an investigation to be made of the applicant and of his proposed business operation and shall require a mandatory inspection of the auto livery to be licensed, by an auto mechanic shop. Said mechanic will be required to perform a physical examination of the brakes, steering system, suspension and exhaust system and to complete a form provided by the Police Department. The Director of the Police Department shall determine whether the automobile or vehicle is in a thoroughly safe and sanitary condition. Within fourteen (14) days after completion of the investigation and inspection, the Director of the Police Department shall either deny or approve the application and shall inform the City Clerk of his decision who will in turn notify the applicant within ten (10) days. If the application is approved, the applicant shall supply the office of the City Clerk with the insurance policies or certificates, as required herein. Upon receipt of the required policies or certificates, pursuant to Section 189-11 herein and N.J.S.A. 48:16-14, the office of the City Clerk shall issue a certificate of compliance in duplicate showing that the owner of the livery service has complied with the terms and provisions of N.J.S.A. 48:16-17 et seq.
B. 
The Director of the Police Department is authorized and empowered to establish reasonable rules and regulations for periodic inspection of any livery and their appurtenances and for the construction, physical appearance and condition of fitness of any livery in the interest of public safety.
A. 
The City Clerk shall approve and have the authority to issue any auto livery owner's license hereunder upon the recommendation by the Director of the Police Department that:
(1) 
The public convenience and necessity will be served by the automobile or vehicle for which application has been made.
(2) 
The auto livery to be licensed is in a thoroughly safe condition for the adequate transportation of passengers, is in a sanitary condition and is reasonably free from body damage so as to provide the public with a neat appearance.
(3) 
The requirements of this chapter and all other governing laws, statutes and ordinances have been met.
(4) 
The auto livery has been properly licensed and inspected by the State of New Jersey and has the necessary stickers affixed; and
B. 
Furthermore, the City Clerk shall approve and have the authority to issue any auto livery owner's license hereunder upon his determination that:
(1) 
The insurance policies or certificates as required herein have been procured and supplied, pursuant to Section 189-11 and N.J.S.A. 48:16-14 and the certificate of compliance has been issued by the City Clerk's office, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:16-17 et seq.
(2) 
The applicant maintains a central place of business within the city.
Upon receipt of (a) notice by the Director of the Police Department that an application for an auto livery owner's license has been approved, (b) payment from the applicant of the proper license fee for each auto livery license and (c) evidence of the insurance required by Section 189-11 issued on behalf of the insurance company or its agent, the Clerk of the city shall issue an auto livery license to the applicant.
A. 
Such license shall show the following:
(1) 
Owner: Name, place of business, name of company (if any), resident address and signature of said licensee, or authorized representative.
(2) 
Automobile or vehicle: Year, make, model, type, serial number of body, color, bill of sale number, state registration number and seating capacity.
(3) 
City license number and date of issuance.
(4) 
The date of expiration in accordance with the terms hereof.
A. 
Prior to the issuance of an auto livery owner's license, the applicant must file with the City Clerk of the city of the City of Orange Township, an insurance policy, of a company duly licensed to transact business under the insurance laws of this state in the sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000.) to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily injuries or death suffered by any person or for damages to property of all persons on account of any accident occurring by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of an auto livery upon any public street, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:16-14. The owner shall furnish the City Clerk with evidence that the premium for the full period of the licensing year has been paid in full. Each policy shall contain an endorsement providing for thirty (30) days written notice from the insurance company to the city in the event of any change in the policy or cancellation of the policy. The auto livery license, if issued pursuant to the provisions herein, shall become effective and operation thereunder shall be permitted only as long as the insurance policy shall remain in force to the full and collectible amounts as aforesaid. Upon receipt of the required policies or certificates, pursuant to this section and N.J.S.A. 48:16-14, the office of the City Clerk shall issue a certificate of compliance in duplicate showing that the owner of the livery service has complied with the terms and provisions of N.J.S.A. 48:16-17 et seq.
B. 
Each insurance policy shall provide for payment of any final judgment recovered by any person on account of the ownership, maintenance or use of the livery or any fault in respect thereto and shall be for the benefit of every person suffering loss, damage or injury as aforesaid.
C. 
If an owner operates more than one (1) livery, it may file with the City Clerk a blanket insurance policy of a company licensed to transact business under the laws of New Jersey in the minimum sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.), which shall be blanket insurance covering all liveries operated by such owner and which shall provide for the payment of any financial judgment recovered by any person on account of the ownership, maintenance and use of any such limousine or livery vehicles or any fault in respect thereto and shall be for the benefit of every person suffering loss, damage or injury as aforesaid.
D. 
In addition to the insurance requirements set forth above, the owner of every auto livery shall execute and deliver to the City Clerk, concurrent with the filing of the insurance policy referred to in this section, a power of attorney wherein the owner shall appoint the City Clerk as his true and lawful attorney for the purpose of acknowledging service of process from a court of competent jurisdiction to be served against the insured by virtue of the indemnity granted under the insurance policy filed, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:16-16.
E. 
The owner of every auto livery shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the municipality, its officers, directors, officials, agents and employees from any and all claims, demands, suits, actions or proceedings of any kind or nature whatsoever pertaining to damages to property or injuries to or death of any person, including employees or agents of the Police Department, including Worker's Compensation claims by auto livery drivers or by anyone whomsoever, as a result of any acts or omissions of employees, volunteers, or agents of the municipality, the Police Department, any off-duty police officer or otherwise, as a result of the services to be provided and/or permitted hereunder.
The office of the City Clerk, as well as the Police Department, shall maintain records of all persons and vehicles licensed or rejected for licenses, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Such records shall contain all information relating to ownership and operation of such licenses and vehicles and shall be open to inspection by the public for good cause shown at reasonable times and shall constitute public records, extracts of which may be certified by the City Clerk for use as legal evidence.
No auto livery shall bear any insignia or descriptive color or marking which tends to or may confuse the said vehicle with a taxicab.
A. 
The vehicle described on the auto livery license may be lawfully substituted or replaced by another vehicle only after receiving written permission therefor from the Director of the Police Department and the City Clerk.
B. 
No auto livery license shall be sold, assigned or otherwise transferred without the consent of the Director of the Police Department and the City Clerk given in writing. With such consent, which shall be granted only upon the filing of an application by the prospective transferee and a finding that he would be qualified to receive a license in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the license may be transferred, provided that it is to be used by the transferee in the bona fide operation of an auto livery business. No auto livery license shall be assigned, mortgaged, pledged or otherwise transferred to secure a debt, loan, advance or other financing transaction.
A. 
No person shall be permitted to drive a livery auto until he shall have made application upon such form as provided by the City Clerk's office for an auto livery driver's license and until such license shall first be obtained from the City Clerk's office upon the approval and recommendation of the Police Department that the provisions hereof have been complied with.
B. 
Each applicant for a driver's license to operate an auto livery under the terms of this chapter must conform to the following conditions and regulations:
(1) 
Be of the age of eighteen (18) years or over and be a resident of the State of New Jersey for one (1) year or more.
(2) 
Be a licensed automobile driver of the State of New Jersey in accordance with the motor vehicle laws, and must have had such for a period of at least one (1) year prior to granting of a license hereunder.
(3) 
Be able to read and write the English language.
(4) 
Be a legal resident of the United States.
(5) 
Not use narcotics or be addicted to intoxicating liquors.
(6) 
Produce character references from two (2) reputable citizens of the City of Orange Township.
(7) 
Present a certificate of a reputable physician showing that he has been examined within thirty (30) days of the date of the application for such license and that the applicant is of sound physical condition, with good eye sight, not subject to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity or disease of the body or mind which might render such applicant unfit for the safe operation of a livery.
(8) 
Fill out, upon such form to be provided by the Office of the City Clerk, a statement giving said applicant's residence for the preceding five (5) years, age, color, height, weight, color of eyes and hair, place of birth and length of time the applicant has resided in the City of Orange Township, place of previous employment, whether married or single, whether the applicant has ever been convicted of felony or misdemeanor, how long the applicant has been a licensed automobile driver of the State of New Jersey and whether his automobile driver's license has ever been revoked and, if so, for what cause and such other reasonable information as the Police Department may require. All applications herein shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant and filed with the City Clerk who shall forward the same to the Police Department.
(9) 
Provide three (3) passport type photographs and pay fifteen dollars ($15.) to be fingerprinted by the Police Department. One (1) of the photographs shall be attached to the license.
C. 
Any misrepresentation of any material fact shall be cause for the refusal or the revocation of such a license.
A. 
The Director of the Police Department shall investigate the driving record and moral character of each applicant for the livery driver's license and shall determine whether said applicant has a sufficiently good driving record and good moral character to be issued a livery driver's license.
B. 
If such determination is in favor of the applicant, he shall be issued, by the office of the City Clerk, upon payment of the license fee set forth in Section 189-6B, a livery driver's license. All licenses issued under this chapter shall be issued to expire on the 31st day of March next succeeding the date of issuance, unless sooner suspended or revoked by the Director of the Police Department as hereinafter provided in Section 189-21.
C. 
When duly issued, the livery driver's license shall contain the name, photograph, signature of said licensee, city license number, date of issuance, and such other information as the Director of the Police Department may reasonably require. Such license shall be signed by the Director of the Police Department and by the City Clerk and shall be in the possession of the driver of the livery.
An owner or driver, in applying for renewal of his license, shall make such application upon a form to be furnished by the office of the City Clerk.
All requirements herein pertaining to auto livery drivers shall also apply to the owners who permit their auto livery to be driven by such drivers.
A. 
No auto livery shall be operated on the streets of this city unless mechanically safe to operate, with brakes, lights, windshield wipers and signaling devices in good working order. All liveries shall be inspected as required by the State Motor Vehicle Code and, in addition, the Director of the Police Department may require any auto livery to be inspected at the cost of the owner whenever he shall deem the same to be necessary or desirable. The interior and exterior of all liveries shall be kept clean and in good condition.
B. 
Equipment of auto livery. The equipment of each licensed auto livery shall include the following:
(1) 
A rate schedule card in a frame as approved by the Police Director must be displayed on the back of the driver's seat.
(2) 
Any radio in the vehicle operating between five hundred fifty (550) and one thousand six hundred (1,600) kilocycles shall be operated at the discretion of the passenger and at no other time.
(3) 
Safety belts and/or restraining devices as delineated in N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.2.
C. 
Equipment of driver.
(1) 
A driver shall pay a refundable fifty dollar ($50.) deposit to obtain a badge, which shall be supplied by the City Clerk. Such badge shall be conspicuously displayed on the right chest of his outermost garment at all times while operating the livery. The badge shall show the license number assigned to the driver's license. Said badge shall be the property of the city. The same shall be returned to the city upon leaving the employ of the livery owner and the deposit shall be refunded.
(2) 
A driver shall carry his city auto livery driver's license at all times while operating the vehicle. He shall show the license to any police officer or passenger upon request.
(3) 
A receipt book of forms showing the driver's full name and badge number shall be carried. A receipt showing the fare charged must be given to every passenger whenever and as requested.
D. 
Conduct of driver.
(1) 
A driver shall not operate a vehicle while, to any degree, under the influence of drugs or intoxicating liquors.
(2) 
Smoking while carrying passengers is prohibited except with the permission of the passenger.
(3) 
Disrespectful conduct or the use of abusive or insulting language to a passenger is prohibited.
(4) 
A driver shall not solicit patronage for restaurants, nightclubs, cabarets, dance halls, hotels or like places nor solicit for any place maintained in violation of the law.
(5) 
A driver shall not refuse service to any orderly person.
(6) 
A driver shall thoroughly search the interior of the vehicle immediately after the termination of each trip and note if the passenger has left any article therein. Unless sooner claimed or delivered to the rightful owner, any property so found shall be taken to the Police Department headquarters and turned in to the officer in charge within six (6) hours of the finding thereof.
(7) 
All drivers shall be clean and neat in appearance at all times when operating a livery.
(8) 
All drivers shall comply with all reasonable and lawful requests of passengers as to speed and the route to be taken. Where such requests are not made by the passenger, such driver shall use lawful and reasonable speed and the most expeditious route to be taken to such passenger's destination.
(9) 
Any motor vehicle accident involving an auto livery must be reported immediately to the Police Department and the auto livery shall not be moved until released by the police.
(10) 
No driver shall permit more than the maximum combination of adults and children to be carried in a livery, as designated by the manufacturer of that livery. However, under no circumstances shall more than one (1) adult or one (1) child, in addition to the driver, ride in the front seat of any vehicle.
(11) 
No driver shall operate an auto livery and transport a child under the age of five (5) years without properly utilizing a child passenger restraint system, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.2 et seq.
A. 
Each and every licensed owner of an auto livery shall record, in a book kept solely for such purpose, the time of departure from the garage of each such livery licensed under this chapter, giving the name and address of the driver thereof, his license number and the license number of the auto livery and the time of the return to the garage of each such auto livery, which book shall be kept open for inspection at all times by a duly authorized representative of the Police Department.
B. 
The driver of each auto livery shall keep a daily record upon which all trips are recorded, showing state registration number of vehicle, name and license number of driver, time and place of origin and destination of each trip and amount of fare, and all such records shall be retained for two (2) years by the owner, who shall be responsible for the maintenance of daily records of all auto liveries owned by him. The forms for such record shall be of a character approved by the Director of the Police Department and shall be subject to inspection at any time by the Police Department or someone authorized by the Mayor or City Council.
The making of a false statement and/or the disclosure thereof in any application or record required by this chapter shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
A. 
Any license granted pursuant to this chapter may be suspended at any time for a period of not more than twenty (20) days by the Director of the Police Department if such licensee (i) does not fully comply with all the requirements, conditions and other provisions of this chapter, or (ii) has violated any ordinance of the City of Orange Township or the laws of the United States or of the State of New Jersey, which reflect unfavorably on the fitness of such licensee to be so licensed.
B. 
Any licensee who shall have his license suspended, as per above, shall be given, within the twenty (20) day period of suspension, a hearing before the Director of the Police Department upon at least five (5) days' notice in writing. After such hearing, the Director of the Police Department shall determine whether the qualifications of said licensee have been so adversely affected as to require an extension of the suspension or a revocation of such license. However, if the Director of the Police Department should determine otherwise, then he shall reinstate said license as soon as practicable.
C. 
The suspension or revocation of any licensee's license shall not preclude further penalization as prescribed below in Section 189-24 of this chapter of any person who is also adjudged guilty of violating any of the provisions of this chapter.
D. 
The Director of the Police Department may revoke any license which has been inactive for thirty (30) days or more, unless there is a showing of good cause on the part of the licensee to the Director to permit the continued use of said license.
E. 
If any license is suspended or revoked by the Director of the Police Department pursuant to this section, the Director shall immediately notify the City Clerk of such suspension or revocation.
This chapter shall not apply to any omnibus license or license regulated by any other ordinance of the City of Orange Township or by any state or federal statute, rule or regulation to the extent that it superseded this chapter.
Any taxicab licensee whose license has been issued by the City of Orange Township shall not be granted an auto livery license.
In addition to any other penalty provided by other sections of this chapter, any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and each violation of any of the provisions of this chapter and each day the same is violated shall be deemed and taken to be a separate and distinct offense.
Owners and drivers of livery used exclusively for funerals and weddings are exempt from the terms and conditions contained in this chapter.
If any part of this ordinance shall be held unenforceable, the rest of this ordinance shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.