[Ord. of 9-25-1979; Ord. of 12-10-1985; Ord. of 11-28-2023]
A taxicab operator license application must be approved by the
Chief of Police or their designated alternate and must be approved
by a majority vote of the City Council to operate a taxi business.
Incomplete applications shall not be submitted to the City Council,
nor shall applications with missing information be submitted. Any
application submitted under this section shall not be acted upon by
the City Council and such applications will be returned to the Police
Department. No taxi operator license application shall be approved
as defined in this article unless:
a)
The applicant is a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
b)
License to operate a taxicab business is approved by the City Council.
c)
Application for license shall be approved by the Chief of Police
or their designated alternate.
d)
Applicant does not have an outstanding arrest warrant or be listed
as a fugitive from any other state.
e)
Applicant has not been convicted of a violent felony.
f)
Does not have an active Abuse Prevention Order or Harassment Prevention
Order against them.
g)
The Police Department may deny or revoke an application to operate
a taxi cab business for any other reason not specifically covered
in this section should the applicant be deemed unsuitable.
h)
The City Council may, without prejudice approve or deny the operator's
license application.
i)
Any taxi operator who has been approved by the City Council, may
have their license revoked or suspended for failing to comply with
any of the above-mentioned requirements.
[Ord. of 11-28-2023]
Taxi Business Operators are required to operate their business
from their registered address as stated on the licensee's application,
as approved by the City Council. Should said Operator move the business
or add a business location, such as a separate lot to store vehicles,
they must file an amendment to their current license application and
submit that amendment to the Police Department for approval of the
amendment(s) prior to the move to a new location. Amendments to a
licensee's application must be approved by a majority vote of the
City Council. In addition, any such change of location(s) shall comply
with any current zoning regulations.
[Ord. of 11-28-2023]
Taxi Operators shall provide sufficient off-street parking at
their registered business location(s) as stated on the licensee's
application, to store all of the vehicles operated by the taxi business
operator. If such storage location is in a different location than
the operator's business office, both addresses must be listed on the
operator's license. Also said storage location shall comply with current
zoning regulations.
[Ord. of 4-10-2007; Ord. of 11-28-2023]
Every taxicab operator's license shall be numbered serially
by the City Clerk's Office, sequentially as granted; shall set forth
the name, residence and place of business of the licensee, the hours
during which the vehicle or vehicle fleet is to operate, additionally,
attached to the operator's license shall be a separate page for each
vehicle operated by the licensee. This attachment shall set forth
a description of the vehicle including the year, make, model, sub-model,"
color, vehicle identification number, registration number, number
of persons (excluding the driver) that the vehicle may carry, and
the unit or fleet number of that vehicle unless sooner revoked or
rendered void shall continue in effect until the 31st day of December
after the date of issuance therefor. Applications for renewal and
applications for new licenses shall be received by the Police Department,
Chief of Police, or their designated alternate by the 1st day of December.
Failure to renew shall incur a penalty of $10 per day of noncompliance.
[Ord. of 11-28-2023]
The number of taxicab operator's licenses in force and effect
at any one time shall not be in excess of 25; notwithstanding the
provisions of this division.
[Ord. of 6-27-1995; Ord. of 11-28-2023]
Licenses granted under this division shall not be assignable,
salable or transferable.
No taxicab operator's license shall be issued until the applicant
has delivered to the City Clerk a policy of insurance issued by an
insurance company authorized to transact business within this commonwealth
covering the motor vehicle to be operated under the license, nor until
the applicant has also delivered to the City Clerk a certificate of
the insurance company issuing the policy providing that the policy
shall not be canceled without giving the City Clerk 15 days' notice
thereof. Such policy shall be a policy of liability insurance which
provides indemnity for or protection to the insured and any person
responsible for the operation of the insured's taxicab with his express
or implied consent, against loss by reason of the liability to pay
damages to others for injury to property or bodily injuries, including
death, at any time resulting therefrom, sustained during the term
of the policy by any person, including passengers, other than employees
of the insured or of such other persons responsible as aforesaid who
are entitled to payments or benefits under the provisions of Chapter
152 of the General Laws, and arising out of the ownership, operation,
maintenance, control or use anywhere in the commonwealth of such taxicab,
to the amount or limit of at least $10,000 on account of injury to
or death of any one person, or of at least $20,000 on account of any
accident resulting in injury to or the death of more than one person,
and to the amount or limit of at least $5,000 on account of any one
accident resulting in injury to property.
The City Clerk shall, upon the request of any person, furnish
the name of the company issuing such policy covering any particular
car licensed and shall exhibit such policy to any such person or his
duly authorized representative.
Every such license shall terminate upon the cancellation or
the expiration of the policy of insurance covering the licensed car.
[Ord. of 6-27-1995]
The City Clerk shall, at the expense of the licensee, issue
for the licensed vehicle a card bearing the words "The Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, City of North Adams, Taxi Vehicle License," setting
forth the serial number of the license and the expiration date. The
card shall also state the number of passengers the vehicle is permitted
to carry. Such card shall be so attached to the interior of the vehicle
as to be plainly visible to the occupants thereof.
