A. 
Vehicles must be licensed.
(1) 
Prior to the use and operation of any vehicle under the provisions of this Chapter and during the months of September and March of each year, every vehicle shall be thoroughly examined and inspected by the Police Department and found to be satisfactory regarding the following:
(a) 
Steering;
(b) 
Brakes;
(c) 
Speedometer;
(d) 
Lights;
(e) 
Tires;
(f) 
Horn;
(g) 
Exhaust system;
(h) 
Rear view mirror;
(i) 
Windshield wipers;
(j) 
Approved taximeter in good condition, if applicable;
(k) 
Properly licensed by the State of Illinois;
(l) 
Rate card, if applicable;
(m) 
Otherwise clean, sanitary, and safe for the transportation of passengers;
(n) 
Fully functioning seat belts for all authorized passengers;
(o) 
No crack in a window that impairs the driver's ability to safely operate said vehicle. Sole discretion is left to the inspecting officer and their application of State law;
(p) 
No body damage or condition shall be allowed to remain which would cost in excess of $250 on the regular body work market or which presents sharp edges or other dangerous conditions to passengers;
(q) 
Every vehicle shall have a lighted sign identifying it as a vehicle for hire. The sign shall be lit when the vehicle is operating, and available for hire. The sign shall be off when not operating or when carrying a paying passenger;
(2) 
As part of this examination, every vehicle must pass the safety test provided by an official Illinois testing station as established by the Illinois Compiled Statutes and proof of each vehicle passing the State's safety test must be provided to the City prior to licensing said vehicle.
(3) 
When the Police Department finds that a vehicle has met the standards the City Clerk shall be notified of such, including the authorized seating capacity of said vehicle.
B. 
Periodic inspections. Every vehicle operating under this Chapter shall be inspected every six months by the Police Department as provided for herein. However, the Chief of Police, or their designee, shall have the authority to order an inspection at any time to ensure the continued maintenance of safe operating conditions.
C. 
Every vehicle operating under this Chapter shall be kept in a safe, clean, and sanitary condition.
Each vehicle shall bear on each side letters not less than four inches nor more than eight inches in height, the name of the licensed entity and/or the registered Doing Business As (DBA)/Assumed Name, if applicable, under which the vehicle for hire is licensed to operate.
A. 
All applicable vehicles operated under the authority of this ordinance shall be equipped with meters fastened in front of the passengers, visible to them at all times, and after sundown the face of the meter shall be illuminated. Said meter shall be operated mechanically or digitally by an industry standard mechanism tracking distance from the transmission, from one of the front wheels, a satellite, or a Global Positioning System (GPS). The meter shall be secured so as not to allow the meter to be manipulated to affect the reading and recording. Each meter shall have a means of notifying the passenger(s) when the vehicle is employed and when it is not employed, and it shall be the duty of the driver to ensure said means of notification is clear to the passenger(s) unless a passenger declares to the driver that no clearance of the meter shall be made until all or certain designated passengers in such vehicle reach their respective destination. The passenger making such declaration shall be responsible for the whole fare upon reaching their destination.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any license holder to allow and for any driver to drive a vehicle unless the fare to be charged is determined by the meter in accordance with the schedule of fares contained herein, and except as specifically provided herein, no other fare shall be charged to passengers than is recorded on said meter for the trip. In addition to the penalty which may be assessed against the driver for such violation, the City Manager may suspend the license of the holder as generally provided for herein.
C. 
Said meter shall be subject to inspection upon request by the Police Department. Any inspector or other officer of said Department is hereby authorized either on complaint of any person or without such complaint to inspect any meter, and upon discovery of any inaccuracy therein, to notify the person operating said vehicle to cease operation. Thereupon said vehicle shall be kept off the streets until the meter is repaired and in the required working condition.
All horses or other animals pulling vehicles shall be equipped with an adequate device to prevent manure and other excrement from falling on the streets of the City. If any excrement should fall on the streets of the City and is not immediately removed by the driver, it may be removed by the City and the expense of such removal shall be recovered from the owner of the vehicle.