Violations of this article are punishable as provided in section 1.01.009.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
No person shall operate any taxicab business within the city without adhering to the permitting requirements set forth in this division.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
For the purpose of this division, the following definitions shall apply:
A person who physically operates a limousine.
Refers to any chauffer driven motor vehicle that meets the manufacturer’s specifications for luxury limousine and provides limousine service as defined herein. No limousine shall engage in cruising or be operated on call or demand.
The service regularly rendered to the public, not of fixed routes, which furnishes transportation by chauffeured limousines for hire, based on a fee determined and contracted for by telephone or other prearrangement by the customer and the person offering limousine service.
One who is authorized by a company holding a valid permit from the city to operate a taxicab for public hire.
Includes and shall be construed to be a person riding in an automobile or vehicle for hire as distinguished from a person operating the same.
Any person, not a child under ten (10) years of age, traveling with the first passenger.
Includes any person, individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation.
Any and all motor vehicles used for the transportation or carrying of passengers for hire within the limits of the city (except vehicles engaged in interstate commerce, vehicles properly and legally licensed by the state to do a carrying business between established towns and cities within the state, vehicles providing paratransit service operated by a company or corporation that receives federal or state funding for said service, and vehicles providing limousine service as defined herein), and not operating on a fixed route.
Includes any person or persons as hereinabove defined, who has been issued a permit under this division from the city clerk.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
Any taxicab business wishing to operate within the city limits shall be registered as a corporation with the state.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any taxicab business to operate or caused to be operated any taxicab within the city unless said taxicab business shall have filed with the city clerk a commercial auto insurance policy as hereafter provided. No taxicab permit shall be issued to any taxicab business unless the city clerk shall have first approved such insurance policy.
(b)
All insurance policies to be filed with the city clerk shall be issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the state and shall provide liability coverage for each taxicab owned, leased, or operated by the assured [insured] with liability coverage for personal injury, death, and property damage; said insurance coverage to be effective whether the taxicab was, at the time of the accident, being driven by the owner, his agent, employee, lessee, or licensee.
(c)
The policy of insurance shall clearly identify the vehicles covered by said policy.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
It shall be unlawful for any taxicab business to operate or caused to be operated any taxicab within the city unless said taxicab has valid automobile inspection and registration stickers as required by the state.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
Taxicab permits shall be issued in the form of serially numbered certificates, bearing the signature of the city clerk and the seal of the city. Said certificate shall show the expiration date of the license, the name of the taxicab business owner, the name of the manufacturer of the vehicle, the year of the manufacture, and the number of the license plate issued by the state. Upon application of the taxicab business an annual permit fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each taxicab operated shall be due and payable. No refund shall be made for any permit fee paid under this division.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
The application for a taxicab permit shall contain the following:
(1)
Full name, address, and telephone number of the applicant and the names and addresses of the officers and directors of the taxicab business listed on incorporation documents filed with the secretary of state;
(2)
A complete description of each vehicle, including the number of persons it is constructed or built to carry, the year of manufacture, the model, the state license number, and a statement of the ownership of each vehicle;
(3)
The trade name under which applicant proposes to do business, and the color or distinctive design of the body, if any, of each vehicle proposed to be used;
(4)
The name and contact person for the company issuing commercial auto insurance on each vehicle proposed to be used,
(5)
Copy of commercial auto insurance policy for each vehicle proposed to be used as detailed herein;
(6)
Copy of valid state driver’s license for each intended taxicab operator;
(7)
Proof of incorporation of the taxicab business.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
Upon filing of said application, such taxicab permit(s) or a letter detailing the reason(s) for denial shall be issued within ten (10) business days following said application.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
(a)
No taxicab business shall operate under more than one business name.
(b)
All taxicabs operating within the city shall maintain clearly visible signage on display on the outside of both left and right side of the taxicab identifying the name and telephone number of the taxicab business.
(c)
All taxicabs operating within the city shall clearly display within the taxicab a current taxicab permit as issued under this article for that particular taxicab.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to pay the legal fare of any taxicab after having hired the same, and it shall be unlawful for any person to hire a vehicle, herein defined as a taxicab, with the intent to defraud the person from whom it is hired for the value of such service.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
Operators of taxicabs shall not receive or discharge passengers in the roadway of any street, but shall drive to the right hand curb as nearly as possible, or, in the absence of a curb, to the extreme right hand side of the road and there receive and discharge passengers, except upon one-way streets where the passengers may be discharged at either the right hand or left hand curb or side of the roadway in the absence of a curb.
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)
(a)
Taxi rates to be charged passengers for service within the corporate limits of the city shall be consistent with this section and it shall be unlawful for any person operating such taxicab to charge any fare other than those rates adopted by this section.
(b)
Passengers shall be individually charged for service consistent with the rates established herein; provided however, when two (2) or more passengers have the same point of origin and destination, one fee based upon the rates established below plus one dollar ($1.00) for each additional passenger above one passenger shall be charged for all passengers having the same point of origin and destination.
(c)
Service sought having its origin or destination outside the corporate limits of the city shall be charged at a rate agreeable to and negotiated by passenger and operator of the taxicab.
(d)
Notwithstanding other provisions set forth in this section, travel between an origin and destination within the corporate limits of the city shall be charged a flat rate of ten dollars ($10.00).
(Ordinance 5760 adopted 1/7/13)