[Ord. No. 99-29 § 2]
There is hereby established in the Township of Lakewood rules and regulations regarding taxicabs.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 3; Ord. No. 2012-24 § 1]
As used in this chapter:
Shall mean and include any automobile or motor car, commonly called taxi, 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 to points or places within or without the State.
Shall mean and include any individual, copartnership, association, corporation or joint stock company, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever.
Shall mean and include any street, avenue, park, parkway, highway or other public place.
Shall mean any vehicle propelled by mechanical motor power, engaged in the business of transportation of passengers for hire or pay within the Township, either operated from stands in the public street or public place, or on telephone calls to a central office or in any manner. Specifically excluded from this definition are vehicles bearing livery plates which are transporting, pursuant to a pre-arranged written contractual agreement, persons to points within the Township for weddings, funerals and other similar occasions. In order to qualify as a taxicab a vehicle must have a minimum wheel base of 104 inches. Said agreements shall be registered with the Township Clerk prior to each such occasion and shall indicate the parties thereto.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 4]
The licensing of taxicabs shall be by the Township and such licenses (hereinafter "taxicab medallions" or "medallions") when granted by the Township Committee, shall be countersigned by the Township Clerk. All fees shall be paid to the Township Clerk. The regulating and inspection of taxicabs, the application for a medallion to own and operate taxicabs, the licensing of drivers as provided for in this chapter and the enforcing of the provisions of this chapter shall be under the control of the Township Committee. The Township Committee is authorized and empowered to establish reasonable rules and regulations for the inspection of taxicabs and requirements of construction and condition of fitness for the safe and adequate transportation of passengers and the general cleanliness of such taxicabs.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 5]
No person shall hire out, keep or use for hire or pay, or cause to be kept or used for hire or pay, any taxicab within the Township without first having obtained a medallion for that purpose.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6A; Ord. No. 2012-24 § 2]
a.
No medallion shall be issued for any vehicle herein required to be licensed until the owner thereof shall have filed an application for same, addressed to the Township Clerk, setting forth the character of the vehicle proposed to be licensed, the correct name of the owner thereof, the residence or address of the principal office of such owner, and such other facts as the Township may require; until the vehicle proposed to be licensed shall have been inspected and approved, in writing, by the Chief of Police of the Township of Lakewood; until there shall have been paid to the Township Clerk the license fee hereinafter provided; and until there shall have been submitted to the Township Attorney and approved by him as to both form and sufficiency, and filed with the Township Clerk, a policy of insurance, with the premium prepaid thereon, an insurance policy which shall be issued by an admitted insurance company duly licensed to transact business under the insurance laws of the State of New Jersey or a company registered to do business in the State, the policy providing for not less than $100,000 of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage to satisfy all claims for damages, by reason of bodily injury to, or the death of, any person or persons, resulting from, or on account of, an accident, by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance, or use of such autocab upon any public street; and not less than $50,000 to satisfy any claim for damages to property of any person or persons, resulting from, or on account of, an accident, by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance, or use of such autocab upon any public street.
b.
Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the owner of an autocab from obtaining any additional amount of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage from a company licensed outside the State of New Jersey.
c.
A license issued under this chapter shall be effective and operation thereunder shall be permitted only so long as the insurance policy shall remain in force to the full and collectible amounts as aforesaid.
d.
The insurance policy shall provide for the payment of any final judgment recovered by any person on account of the ownership, maintenance, or use of the autocab or any fault in respect thereto, and shall be for the benefit of every person suffering loss, damage or injury as aforesaid.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6B; Ord. No. 2001-73 § 1; Ord. No. 2010-82; Ord. No. 2011-22 § 1]
The purchase price for a Township taxi medallion shall be $1,000. The annual medallion renewal fee for each taxicab shall be $200 which shall be payable on or before October 1. The licensing period shall extend from October 1 until the following September 30. The fee imposed herein shall be to defray the cost of administering, regulating and enforcing this section and to defray the cost of the inspections required pursuant to the terms of this section.
An annual medallion fee that remains unpaid after December 1 of the licensing year shall revert back to the Township upon notice to the medallion holder and the opportunity for a hearing.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6C]
Upon approval and granting of a medallion for the operation of a taxicab within the Township by the Township Committee, the Township Clerk shall provide the medallion holder with a card containing the name of the applicant, the Township number in one and one-half (1 1/2) inch letters, the number of persons the vehicle is authorized to transport and notice that in case of any complaint, complaint forms are available at the Lakewood Police Department. Only after the vehicle has been inspected, will a decal be issued. This decal shall be placed in the lower left hand corner of the rear window of the vehicle.
Medallion is subject to forfeiture by the medallion holder back to the Township, upon notice with an opportunity to be heard at a hearing before the Lakewood Township Committee, if the medallion is not utilized for nine consecutive months.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6D]
The information referred to in this section shall be displayed pursuant to subsection 9-5.3.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6E; Ord. No. 2013-32]
a.
Not more than 40 taxi medallions shall be issued and outstanding at any time.
b.
No owner of a vehicle shall be issued a taxicab medallion until that vehicle has been thoroughly and carefully inspected, especially with regard to the brakes and front end, and examined by a person designated by the Township Committee and found to be in a thoroughly safe condition for the transportation of passengers. Side curtains, shades and/or dark, smoke glass shall not be permitted on any such vehicles.
c.
No vehicle known as a two-door body or two-door hatchback shall be issued a taxicab medallion.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6F]
a.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of a licensed taxicab to sell, lease, rent, assign, transfer or in any other manner dispose of a taxicab medallion without the permission of the Township Committee, nor shall any owner of a taxicab hire out or rent a taxicab to a taxicab driver or any other person for use within the Township for a stipulated sum over a definite period of time.
b.
No taxicab medallion shall be transferred except to another vehicle owned, registered and insured in the name of the person desiring to transfer the medallion without the approval of the Township Committee. Any medallion may be transferred with the payment of a transfer fee of $300 upon obtaining the approval of the Township Committee.
c.
In the event the holder of a taxicab medallion desires to transfer such medallion to another vehicle owned, registered and insured in his/her name, the insurance card, containing the year and model of the vehicle, shall be presented to the Township Clerk forthwith. A copy of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Transfer Certificate shall be submitted to the Township Clerk, upon receipt of same from the Motor Vehicle Commission.
[Ord. No. 2012-24 § 3]
Prior subsection 9-5.7, Insurance, was deleted by Ordinance No. 2012-24. See subsection 9-5.1 for insurance requirements.
a.
Each operator or driver of an autocab for which the owner thereof is seeking the consent to operate in the Township of Lakewood shall submit to the performance of a criminal history record background check. The cost for the criminal history record background check, including all costs of administering and processing the check, shall be borne by the operator or driver of the autocab.
b.
A person shall be disqualified from operating or driving an autocab if a criminal history record background check required pursuant to this section reveals a record of conviction of any of the following crimes:
1.
In New Jersey or elsewhere any crime as follows: aggravated assault, arson, burglary, escape, extortion, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault or endangering the welfare of a child pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4, whether or not armed with or having in his possession any weapon enumerated in subsection r of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-1, a crime pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4, or N.J.S.A. 2C:39-9, or other than a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense for the unlawful use, possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance as defined in N.J.S.A. 2C:35-2.
2.
In any other state, territory, commonwealth, or other jurisdiction of the United States, or any country in the world, as a result of a conviction in a court of competent jurisdiction, a crime which in that other jurisdiction or country is comparable to one of the crimes enumerated in paragraph b1 above.
c.
If a person who has been convicted of one of the crimes enumerated in b1 and/or 2 above can produce a certificate of rehabilitation issued pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2A:168A-8 or, if the criminal offense occurred outside New Jersey, an equivalent certificate from the jurisdiction where the criminal offense occurred, the criminal offense shall not disqualify the applicant from operating or driving an autocab.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6H]
a.
The Township Clerk shall keep a register of the name of each person owning or operating a vehicle or vehicles licensed under this chapter, together with the medallion number and the make and description of such vehicle with the date and complete record of inspection of it.
b.
The Township Police Department and Taxicab Compliance Officer(s) shall maintain constant vigilance over all taxicabs to see that they are kept clean and in a condition of safety for the transportation of passengers and to this end, shall have the right at any and all time to inspect any and all medallioned vehicles and shall maintain a record of all inspections. A copy of the inspection records shall be kept in the Township Clerk's office in compliance with paragraph a above. The records shall also include all violations of this chapter and all violations of the motor vehicle laws by the medallion holder.
c.
Every taxicab owner shall cause to have his or her taxicab or taxicabs inspected twice a year at a designated and authorized reinspection center located in the Township of Lakewood. The reinspections shall be paid for by the Township from the taxicab medallion fee referenced above. In the event that any taxicab fails inspection, the subsequent inspection of the vehicle is to be fully paid for by the licensee.
d.
The owner or owners of any taxicab shall inspect or cause to be inspected each taxicab at least once a day, but prior to each and every shift, for any visible defects, cleanliness and to see that all required information is posted in each taxicab. The inspection form will be filed with the taxicab owner for a period of one year, the inspection form to be used shall be designed by the Traffic and Safety Division of the Lakewood Police Department.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 6I]
a.
Owner's Duty to Maintain a Safe Vehicle. The owner of a taxicab medallion shall be responsible for maintaining all licensed vehicles in a clean and safe condition for the transportation of passengers for hire.
b.
Suspension of Taxicab Medallion. The owner of any licensed taxicab found to be unsafe for the transportation of passengers after inspection in accordance with subsection 9-5.8 shall be notified that the taxicab medallion is suspended until the vehicle is made safe for operation. A copy of the inspection report listing the unsafe items shall be given to the operator with the notice that the taxicab medallion is suspended until the vehicle is made safe which notice and report shall be signed by the inspecting officer. An additional copy of the notice and report shall be mailed to the owner's last known address.
c.
Summons and Complaint. Any owner or operator who knowingly allows his vehicle to transport passengers for hire after the medallion has been suspended shall receive a complaint and summons returnable in the Township of Lakewood Municipal Court served upon the owner by mailing a copy to his last known address or by serving a copy upon the operator of the vehicle.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 7A]
Each applicant for a taxicab operator's permit under the terms of this chapter shall conform to the following regulations:
a.
Possess a valid State of New Jersey Driver's License and be a bona fide resident of the State of New Jersey for at least one year.
b.
Present the certificate of a reputable physician showing that he has been examined within the past 60 days and that he is of sound physique with good eyesight and not subject to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or some infirmity of body or mind which might render him unfit for the safe operation of a taxicab.
c.
Be a citizen or a resident legal alien of the United States.
d.
Has not been convicted of a crime, other than misdemeanor traffic violations, and has not violated any provision of this chapter.
e.
Not be addicted to the use of narcotics or alcoholic beverages. To that end, the Township Committee reserves the right to impose a mandatory drug and/or alcohol screening test pursuant to Federal and State laws prior to the issuance or renewal of a taxicab operator's permit.
f.
Produce affidavits of his good character from at least (2) reputable citizens who have known him personally for at least two years and a further affidavit from his last employer unless in the estimation of the Township Committee, sufficient reason is given for its omission.
g.
Fill out, upon a form provided by the Township Clerk, his full name, residence, places of residence for the preceding five years, place of birth, previous employment, whether he has ever been convicted of a crime, including misdemeanor traffic violations, or a violation of this chapter and whether his driver's license has ever been revoked and for what cause, which statement shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant and filed with the Township Clerk as a permanent record. He shall also furnish four copies of passport size photographs front view. The driver shall not be required to display his residence or other personal information to the public other than that information required by subsection 9-5.3, entitled Issuance of Medallion.
h.
The applicant shall also indicate in the application form any conviction for violations of any of the provisions of the motor vehicle laws of the State of New Jersey, as well as any convictions for motor vehicle violations from any State or territory of the United States of America, for a period of five years antedating the date of the application. If the answer is in the affirmative, he shall furnish a certified copy of his Driver's Abstract from the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles and provide details with respect to such conviction in writing.
i.
The applicant shall be fingerprinted and cleared, at his own expense and the print shall be placed on file with the Lakewood Police Department.
j.
The applicant shall indicate on the application form any criminal conviction.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 7B]
The taxicab operator's permit fee for each driver of a taxicab shall be $50 per year. The licensing period shall extend from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. The fee imposed herein shall be to defray the cost of administering, regulating and enforcing this section and to defray the cost of the inspections required pursuant to the terms of this section.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 7C]
a.
Issuance of Taxicab Operator's Permit. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the foregoing requirements, the Township Clerk, after the approval of the Township Committee, shall issue to the applicant a taxicab operator's permit which shall contain the photograph and permit number of the operator.
b.
Issuance of Temporary Taxicab Operator's Permit. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the foregoing requirements, except final police clearance, the Township Clerk, after the approval of the Township Committee, may issue the applicant a temporary taxicab operator's permit which shall contain the photograph and permit number of the operator and the decal. The temporary taxicab operator's permit shall be issued after a preliminary approval has been completed by the Township of Lakewood Police Department but prior to final clearance from all necessary local, State and Federal police agencies. The temporary taxicab operator's permit shall be effective until all final police clearances are received but in no event shall such permit remain in effect longer than 90 days. The temporary permit shall be automatically revoked if any of the departmental clearances indicate the applicant has been convicted of a crime that was not disclosed by the applicant in his application.
c.
Display of Taxicab Operator's Permit. The information referred to in subsection 9-6.3a and b herein shall be mounted in a protective holder or bracket sufficient to prevent the permit from being defaced, and shall be clearly visible on the dashboard so as to have the information thereon visible to any passenger(s) in the rear seat.
d.
Substance Abuse Screening. An applicant must not use narcotics or alcoholic beverages. The Township Committee or Lakewood Transportation Board reserve the right to impose substance abuse screening pursuant to the appropriate Federal or State laws prior to the issuance or renewal of a permit or whenever legally permissible.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 7D]
If at any time within the licensed year a taxicab driver has been convicted of a crime or traffic violation, he shall immediately notify the Township Clerk of the conviction, the jurisdiction of the conviction, the offense for which he was convicted, and the circumstances thereof. It shall be in the discretion of the Township Committee to revoke his taxicab medallion and/or taxicab operator's permit.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 7E; Ord. No. 2015-14]
a.
Violations. The operator who is found guilty after a hearing in Lakewood Municipal Court of a violation of any of the following shall be subject to the following fines:
1.
Operation of a taxicab without a valid taxicab medallion and/or taxicab operator's permit, shall result in a one hundred ($100.00) dollar fine.
2.
Charge passenger excessive fare, not less than $100 nor more than $200.
4.
Filing false information on taxicab operator's permit application required by this section, not less than $500 nor more than $1,000. In addition to any fine imposed, the Court shall have the discretion to suspend the offender's taxicab operator's permit for up to one year in addition to the penalty prescribed in subsection 9-6.3b.
6.
Failure to display rates, not less than $100 nor more than $200.
7.
Violation of any other section of this chapter for which no specific penalty is listed, not less than $100 nor more than $200.
8.
Anyone found guilty of breaking, violating, tampering, or attempting to break, violate or tamper with any taxi meter shall be subject to a fine of:
(a)
$500 and 15 days incarceration if convicted of a first offense;
(b)
$1,000 and 30 days incarceration if convicted of a second offense;
(c)
Surrender of medallions for all cabs under that license and 90 days incarceration if convicted of a third offense.
Taxicab medallion owners who are found guilty after a hearing in Lakewood Township Municipal Court of a violation of any of the above shall be subject to minimum and maximum fines equal to twice the above amounts listed for operators.
Taxicab medallion owners and taxicab operator's permit holders who are convicted of any of the above offenses for a third time, shall be subject to a maximum fine equal to three times the above maximum penalties.
b.
Summons and Complaint. A summons and complaint citing a violation of this chapter returnable in Lakewood Township Municipal Court shall be served personally or by mail to the last known address of the person charged with a violation of this chapter.
c.
Waiver of Municipal Court Hearing. Any person or corporation charged with a violation of any section of this chapter may waive the Court hearing hereon by pleading guilty to the violation and making payment to the Court Clerk of the maximum fine for the violation; provided however that a Court appearance shall be required for any person or corporation charged with a violation of Section 9-4.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 8A]
The Township Committee may designate certain taxicab stands as provided by law and the number of taxicabs permitted therein. The taxicabs shall operate on a first-in, first-out basis at such taxicab stands. No taxicab shall remain in a taxi stand for more than 30 consecutive minutes.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 8B]
The Township Committee may establish other stands by resolution when in their judgment that course shall be necessary. The continuance of such stand shall thereupon be subject to the approval or disapproval of the Township Committee, by resolution.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 8C]
Any owner of a taxicab medallion who shall change his place of business after February 25, 1960 shall provide off-street parking for all of his taxicabs.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 9A; Ord. No. 2017-2]
Every medallioned taxicab conducting business in the Township of Lakewood, shall have an odometer installed within the taxicab. The odometer shall be of a make, model equal or superior to the Pulsar Technology Systems, Inc. Pulsar Mileage Odometer Model 100. The cost of the odometer shall be borne by the taxicab owner. The odometer shall be placed in full view of the rear passenger(s).
a.
No passenger shall be carried in any taxicab unless the taximeter shall be in operation. This provision shall apply regardless of whether a taxicab is engaged for a trip entirely within the boundaries of Lakewood Township or partially outside thereof, and the taximeter shall be kept operating continuously during the entire time that it is engaged in the transportation of passengers, regarding the point of destination.
b.
Within one month prior to submitting an application for issuance or renewal of Taxicab Medallion, the taximeter of such taxicab must be tested and sealed by the appropriate regulatory authority.
c.
A taximeter shall be placed in each taxicab so that the reading dial showing the amount to be charged will be well lighted and readily discernible to a passenger riding in the taxicab.
d.
Every taximeter used in the operation of taxicabs shall be subject to inspection at any time by a duly authorized representative of Lakewood Township, or by other appropriate authority. Upon the discovery of any material inaccuracy of a taximeter or inconsistent with approved rates, the operator thereof shall remove, or cause to be removed, from service, the vehicle equipped with the inaccurate or inconsistent taximeter until such taximeter shall have been replaced or repaired, and tested and resealed.
e.
Flag Drop Charges. The driver of any taxicab, while carrying passengers, must immediately activate the meter once the vehicle is in motion and is actively transporting passengers, and must be deactivated by the driver once the passengers have reached the desired destination, or the passenger verbally communicates the cancellation of the service, and/or at the termination of the service.
f.
Charge to Be Registered. All charges for taxicab service shall be calculated and indicated by taximeter, and at all times while the taxicab is engaged, the taximeter shall be activated to register the charges. No taximeter shall be so operated as to cause any charge to be registered thereon except during the time when the taxicab is engaged by a passenger or passengers.
g.
Receipt for Charges. No driver of any taxicab, upon receiving full payment for a fare as indicated by the taximeter, shall refuse to give a receipt when requested. The receipt shall show the name of the taxicab company, name of the driver, date of service and taxicab number, total amount of fare, origin of fare and destination.
h.
Charges Must Be Indicated. Charges for transportation of passengers in a taxicab operated in Lakewood Township shall not exceed the amount shown on the taximeter installed in the taxicab and which is verified by the Ocean County Weights and Measures. It is unlawful for any owner or driver of any taxicab to charge any passenger or passengers any sum in excess of the sum indicated on the taximeter.
i.
Fasten Seatbelt Sign. In every taxicab, there shall be a sign no smaller than five inches by seven (5 x 7) inches, stating that all occupants in the taxicab, including the driver, must wear his or her seatbelt at all times while the vehicle is in motion.
j.
Vehicle Inspection and Certification by Licensed Mechanic. The owner of taxicab shall have each taxicab vehicle inspected by a licensed mechanic within 60 days prior to applying for a Lakewood Township Taxicab Medallion, Taxicab Medallion renewal or replacement of these permits. No taxicab permit shall be granted unless the applicant presents a signed and dated statement from a licensed mechanic who inspected the vehicle certifying that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. The statement from the licensed mechanic must include the date of the inspection, the name of the business and name of the mechanic: the vehicle identification number (VIN) and license plate number to the taxicab vehicle. The business license shall not be renewed until the above requirements have been satisfied, and the dated statement submitted to the Lakewood Township Clerk.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 9B; Ord. No. 2012-24 § 4]
b.
The following rates will be in effect as of February 1, 2012:
Fee | Day 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. | Night 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. |
|---|---|---|
Per Mile | $1.50 | $3.00 |
Animal Fee | $1.00 | $1.00 |
Drop Fee | $5.00 | $6.00 |
Drop Fee-Senior | $4.00 | $5.00 |
c.
The rates set forth above shall be for single passengers and there shall be a charge of $0.50 for each additional passenger regardless of age.
d.
The following rates may also be charged:
1.
Groceries. No charge for the first two bags and $0.25) for every two bags, or part thereof, afterwards.
2.
Laundry-luggage; foot lockers: $3.
3.
Additional items. Taxicab owners have the right to make reasonable charges for items not covered by this chapter.
4.
Waiting time. Waiting time shall be charged at $.50 cents per minute.
5.
Extra stops. The charge will be $1 dollar for each stop plus waiting time.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 9C]
Taxicab medallion holders may request rate changes by submitting proposed new rates in writing to the Township Clerk prior to August 1 of each year.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 10A]
The position of Taxicab Compliance Officer is hereby established as a part-time position within the Township of Lakewood.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 10B]
No person shall be appointed to the position of Taxicab Compliance Officer unless he or she:
a.
Is a resident of the Township of Lakewood;
b.
Is able to read, write, and speak the English language well and intelligently and has a high school diploma or its equivalent;
c.
Is of good moral character;
d.
Has not been convicted of any offense involving dishonesty or which would make him or her unfit to perform the duties of this position.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 10C]
The Taxicab Compliance Officer is charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter; in so doing, the Taxicab Compliance Officer shall work in cooperation with the Lakewood Township Police Department and Township Clerk.
The Taxicab Compliance Officer's duties include, but are not limited to the following: inspection of taxicabs, issuance of summonses, maintenance of records, renewal and transfer of taxicab medallions, handling resident complaints, inspection of maintenance records, and tracking all taxicab medallions and taxicab operator's permits. Additionally, the Taxicab Compliance Officer shall report monthly to the Lakewood Transportation Board.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 10D]
The salary range for said part-time position shall be as set forth in the salary range ordinance of the Township of Lakewood.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 11A]
No driver of any taxicab shall seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving his taxicab to and from in a short space or otherwise interfering with the proper and orderly access to or egress from any theater, hall, hotel, public resort, railway station or other place of public gathering and no driver shall solicit passengers for a taxicab.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 11B]
Every driver of a taxicab who discovers any property lost or left in the taxicab must report in writing to the Police Department with brief particulars and description of the property, within 24 hours after his finding thereof, unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner. Any unclaimed property in a taxicab must be turned over to the Police Department within 24 hours of its discovery by the driver or owner of the taxicab and held until claimed or released by the Police Department in accordance with Police Department regulations
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 11C]
a.
Every taxicab shall have a permanent illuminated taxi sign and be plainly marked as a taxicab, and such illuminated taxi sign shall be in operation when the taxicab is commercially employed. Additionally, every taxi company shall have its own color which will be registered with the Township Clerk. All taxis owned by a company shall be painted accordingly.
b.
Every taxicab owner shall operate each medallioned taxicab on a regular basis for at least eight hours per day for a minimum of five days weekly, and there shall be no inoperative medallions allowed. In the event a taxicab medallion is not used for a period of nine consecutive months, the medallion shall revert back to the Township of Lakewood, after notice to the medallion holder, with an opportunity to be heard before the Lakewood Township Committee.
c.
Every taxicab owner shall operate his business from an established place of business, located in a proper zone, and the established business be advertised in the telephone book, listing the address and telephone number of the business. Additionally, every taxicab owner shall have obtained the proper business license from the Township Clerk's office.
d.
Every licensed taxicab operator while operating a medallioned vehicle for the transportation of passengers for hire in the Township shall be properly attired in a clean shirt, shall be clean shaven or possess a neatly trimmed beard or moustache. It shall be unlawful for the operator to wear an undershirt as an outer garment while so employed, nor shall be attired in shorts.
e.
Every taxicab owner shall repair all body damage to each vehicle within 30 days from the date the damage is discovered.
f.
The applicant for a taxicab operator's permit shall be examined by a reputable doctor licensed to practice medicine in the State of New Jersey and shall file with his application for the issuance or renewal of an operator's permit a certificate from a doctor dated within 30 days of the filing showing that the applicant is in good general health.
g.
Each taxicab operated within the Township of Lakewood shall have a sign painted on each rear door. The sign shall contain the owner's name and the words "Taxicab" or "Taxi" in letters which are not less than four nor more than eight inches in height.
h.
The owner of each taxicab medallion is to have insurance as required herein which shall name the Township of Lakewood as a coinsured.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 12]
a.
A Lakewood Taxi Rate Card listing the rates as contained in subsection 9-8.2 herein shall be displayed in a prominent fashion in the vehicle so as to be able to be read by any passenger therein.
b.
There shall also be a notice prominently displayed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle informing the passengers of their right to occupy the taxicab alone at no additional charge. The notice shall be no less than eight inches by ten inches (8" x 10") in area and contain lettering no less than 1/2 inch in size. In addition, should the Township issue a form of notice, the form shall be the only one used in any taxicab.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 13]
In addition to a sign containing the name and telephone number of the taxicab company, each vehicle shall be allowed to carry an advertisement fastened to the rear of the vehicle which shall comply with all relative motor vehicle regulations of the State of New Jersey and it shall not be higher than the lowest part of the rear window of the vehicle so as not to interfere with the rear view vision of the driver.
[Ord. No. 99-29 § 14]
Owners and operators of taxicabs shall be separately charged with allegations of violations of any portion of the within chapter. No conviction of an operator of a taxicab shall result in an automatic conviction of the owner of the taxicab for a violation of any portion of this chapter. Similarly, no conviction of an owner of a taxicab shall result in an automatic conviction of the operator of the taxicab for a violation of any portion of this chapter.