For the purpose of this chapter, unless it is plainly evident from the context that a different meaning is intended, certain terms used in this chapter are defined as follows:
"Driver"
means and includes every person driving, operating or in charge of any taxicab within the City.
"Driver's permit"
means a permit issued by the City Manager to any person to operate or drive a taxicab within the City.
"Owner"
means any person owning a taxicab operated within the City. For the purposes of this chapter, a person leasing and operating a taxicab is an owner.
"Taxicab"
means and includes every vehicle for the public transportation of passengers over the streets of the City, but not over defined routes and irrespective of whether the operations extend beyond the boundary limits of the City, and such vehicles routed under the direction of such passenger or passengers or of such persons hiring the same. "Taxicab" does not include such vehicles operated by the City or other governmental agencies or public entities pursuant to an agreement with the City.
(Prior code Art. 660; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
A. 
Any owner of a taxicab to be operated within the City shall obtain a permit from the City Manager.
B. 
The application shall be on a form provided by the City Manager.
C. 
The application shall be accompanied by a non-refundable permit investigation fee of $25.00.
(Prior code Art. 661; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Before any application is acted upon, the City Manager shall cause an investigation to be made and the City Manager shall not issue a permit if he or she finds as a result of his or her investigation that:
A. 
The applicant or any person mentioned in the application is not a person of good moral character;
B. 
Any vehicle proposed to be operated is inadequate or insufficient for the purpose intended or is insufficiently equipped with reasonable safety devices;
C. 
The applicant proposes to engage in the business under a fictitious name which, in the opinion of the City Manager, imitates or so closely resembles the fictitious or real name of any person, firm or corporation already engaged in the same business in the City as may tend to deceive the public, or the applicant proposes to use upon his or her vehicles a peculiar or distinguishing color scheme or design which, in the opinion of the City Manager, imitates or so closely resembles a color scheme or a design already used upon the vehicles of any other person, firm, or corporation engaged in the same business that it may tend to deceive the public.
(Prior code § 6611; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Before any owner's permit for any public transportation vehicle is issued, the owner thereof shall file with the City evidence satisfactory to the City Manager of compliance with Vehicle Code Section 16500.
(Prior code § 6611; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
No owner's permit shall be sold, transferred, assigned, mortgaged or otherwise conveyed unless the provisions of this chapter for the issuance of a new owner's permit have been followed.
(Prior code § 6612; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
An owner of a taxicab must renew the permit required by this chapter by filing a new application. The permit application fee shall be $25.00.
(Prior code Art. 662; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
No person shall drive a taxicab upon the streets of the City and no owner of such vehicle shall permit it to be so driven unless the driver of such vehicle first obtains and has then in force a driver's permit issued under the provisions of this chapter. The City Manager, however, may waive and grant exceptions to this requirement in the case of a driver who has a current, similar permit issued by another governmental agency following substantially the same procedure as this City in the issuance of such permits.
(Prior code Art. 6613; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Any person, upon payment of a permit investigation fee of $25.00, may apply for a permit to operate a taxicab by filing with the City Manager in such form as may be prescribed by the City Manager an application therefor. The applicant shall also file with his or her application two recent photographs one and one-half inch by one and one-half inch in size, one to be filed with his or her application and one to be permanently attached to his or her driver's permit when issued, which permit shall be posted in a place conspicuous from the passenger's compartment of the vehicle while the driver is operating same. An owner driving his or her own vehicle is exempt from the payment of this permit investigation fee.
(Prior code Art. 664; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
A. 
Upon receipt of the application the City Manager shall conduct an investigation of each applicant for a driver's permit and on the basis of this investigation, the City Manager shall approve or reject the application.
B. 
No driver's permit shall be issued to any of the following persons:
1. 
Any person under the age of 18 years;
2. 
Any person who has been convicted of a felony or any offense involving moral turpitude;
3. 
Any person who has been convicted of driving a vehicle recklessly or while under the influence of intoxicating liquors within a period of three years prior to the date of application;
4. 
Any person who has been convicted of driving a vehicle while under the influence of narcotics;
5. 
Any person not possessing a valid Class III driver's license issued by the State of California;
6. 
Any person possessing either physical or moral deficiencies which, in the sound discretion of the City Manager, would render such applicant not a competent person to operate a public transportation vehicle.
(Prior code § 6641; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; prior code Am. No. 75 § 24, 1970; Ord. 430 § 13, 1978; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
At the time of filing the written application for a driver's permit, the applicant may apply for a temporary permit. The issuance of such temporary permit shall be within the discretion of the City Manager and shall not be issued or valid for a period to exceed 30 days; and if, upon investigation by the City Manager, he or she ascertains that the applicant for a temporary driver's permit does not qualify for a permanent driver's permit, he or she shall forthwith revoke the temporary permit.
(Prior code § 6642; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 304 § 1, 1972; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
The City Manager may revoke any driver's permit issued by him or her or the permission for any driver to operate up-on the streets of the City any public transportation vehicle where the City Manager finds any one or more of the following causes to exist:
A. 
The driver has been convicted of or has formal charges pending against him or her in any court for the commission of a felony; reckless driving; pandering, offering, prostitution; the use, sale, possession or transportation of narcotics or illicit intoxicating liquors; or for assault or battery;
B. 
The driver has committed repeated infractions of traffic laws;
C. 
The driver has charged rates in excess of those scheduled and authorized by the driver's employer;
D. 
The driver has within or outside the City driven the transportation vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or any drug or narcotic;
E. 
The existence of any state of facts which would have been good reason to deny issuance of the driver's permit when applied for, regardless when such state of facts arose;
F. 
The driver's conduct indicates he or she is not a fit and proper person to hold such driver's permit;
G. 
Protection of the public peace, health, safety or morals requires such revocation.
(Prior code § 6643; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; prior code Am. No. 75 § 24, 1970; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Every taxicab so licensed shall have attached thereto at a location upon the vehicle and in a manner approved by the City Manager a sticker or decal issued by the administrative Services Director. This sticker or decal must remain on the vehicle at all times and shall not be transferable.
(Prior code § 6644; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982; Ord. 2003-998 § 24; Ord. 2012-1133 § 33)
A. 
All taxicabs operating within the City, whether operating under an owner's permit issued by the City or a comparable permit issued by another jurisdiction, shall adhere to the following regulations.
B. 
Direct Route to Destination. Any driver employed to transport passengers to a definite point shall take the most direct route possible that will carry the passenger to his or her destination.
(Prior code § 6643; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; prior code Am. No. 75 § 24, 1970; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Every taxicab shall have painted on the door of the cab the name of the owner or the fictitious name under which the owner operates together with the company's telephone number. The name and telephone number may be printed upon the rear of such vehicle if the owner so desires. All of the lettering mentioned in this section shall be of not less than two and one-fourth inches in height.
(Prior code Art. 668; Ord. 298 § 1, 1972; Ord. 587 § 1, 1982)
Every owner shall pay an annual business license tax of $150.00 for each vehicle being operated in the City.
(Prior code § 6631; prior code Am. No. 22 § 1, 1965; Ord. 587 §1, 1982)