[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Rye 2-4-1942 as Art. 6 of Ch. 3 of the General Ordinances. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, whenever
used in this chapter the following words shall have the meaning given
to them by this section:
Any permission granted to any person to drive a licensed
taxicab upon the streets of the City.
Any person owning or having control of the use of one or
more taxicabs used for hire upon the streets of the City or engaged
in the business of operating a taxicab.
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying persons
for hire, whether the same be operated from a street stand or subject
to calls from a garage or otherwise operated for hire, except vehicles
subject to the provisions of the Transportation Corporations Law or
used by undertakers in carrying on their business.
Any person who drives a taxicab, whether such person be the
owner of such taxicab or employed by a taxicab owner or operator.
Any permission granted to any person to operate or keep for
hire any taxicab in the City.
Any place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere which
is exclusively reserved for the use of taxicabs.
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive,
operate or keep for hire or pay within the City any taxicab without
first having obtained and paid for a license to drive or a license
for operating or keeping for pay or hire, or both.
No person shall drive a taxicab and no person
shall permit anyone to drive a taxicab within the City without a driver's
license.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
An application for a driver's license must be
made on a blank form furnished by the Police Department. The original
application, which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police
endorsed thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall issue a
license as provided herein. The applicant must file a copy of said
application with the Commissioner of Police and comply with the following
to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Police:
A.
First have obtained a chauffeur's license.
B.
Be of sound physique with good eyesight and not subject
to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity of body
or mind which might render him or her unfit for the safe operation
of a public vehicle.
C.
Be clean in dress and person and not addicted to the
use of intoxicating liquors or drugs.
D.
Be familiar with the provisions of this chapter, the
vehicle and traffic and highway laws of the state and the traffic
regulations and geography of the City.
E.
Produce on forms to be provided by the Police Department:
(1)
A testimonial affidavit from his or her employer.
(2)
Affidavits of good character from two responsible
persons who have known him or her personally and have observed his
or her conduct for at least one year next preceding the date of his
or her application.
(3)
An affidavit by the applicant, giving such additional
information as may be required.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
Each applicant for a driver's license must file
with his or her application three unmounted, unretouched photographs
of himself or herself, in such position and in such size as the Commissioner
of Police may direct, taken within the 30 days preceding the filing
of his or her application; photographs shall be of a size which may
be easily attached to his or her license, one of which shall be attached
to the license when issued, one shall be filed with the Clerk and
one shall be filed with the copy of the application filed with the
Commissioner of Police.
[Amended 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the foregoing
requirements, the Clerk shall issue to the applicant a license, which
shall be in such form as to contain the photograph and signature of
the licensee, with his or her license number thereon, which must be
constantly and conspicuously displayed on the outside of the driver's
outer garment when he or she is engaged in his or her employment.
All licenses shall be displayed in a conspicuous place in the taxicab
which is in the charge of the licensee.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981; 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
A driver, in applying for a renewal of his or
her license, shall make such application not less than 60 days next
preceding its expiration upon a blank form to be furnished by the
Police Department. A copy of said application for renewal must be
filed with the Commissioner of Police. The original renewal application,
which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police endorsed
thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall thereupon issue
a license as provided herein.
[Amended 12-4-1985 by L.L. No. 16-1985; 12-18-1991 by L.L. No. 31-1991; 12-21-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994; 12-20-2000 by L.L. No. 17-2000; 2-1-2006 by L.L. No. 3-2006]
An annual license fee shall be set annually
by resolution of the City Council before adoption of the budget for
the following year for a driver's license or renewal thereof; no allowance
shall be made for any part of a year.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
The Commissioner of Police shall keep a complete
record of each license issued to a driver and of all renewals, suspensions
and revocations thereof.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate
or permit to be operated a taxicab upon the streets of the City without
first having obtained therefor a taxicab license. An application for
a taxicab license shall be made by the owner on a blank form to be
furnished by the Police Department, and a copy of said application
shall be filed with the Commissioner of Police. The original application,
which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police endorsed
thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall issue a license
as provided herein.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
No vehicle shall be licensed until it has been
thoroughly and carefully inspected and examined by the Commissioner
of Police and found to be in a thoroughly safe condition for the transportation
of passengers. If, upon inspection, a taxicab is found to be of lawful
construction and in proper condition in accordance with the provisions
of this chapter, the Commissioner of Police shall endorse his or her
approval on the application to be filed with the Clerk. Each vehicle
shall be inspected each year by the Commissioner of Police.
[Amended 12-4-1985 by L.L. No. 16-1985; 12-18-1991 by L.L. No. 31-1991; 12-21-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994; 12-20-2000 by L.L. No. 17-2000; 2-1-2006 by L.L. No. 3-2006]
Each taxicab licensed under this chapter shall
pay an annual license fee set annually by resolution of the City Council
before adoption of the budget for the following year as follows:
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
The Commissioner of Police shall keep a register
of the name of each person owning or operating a taxicab licensed
under this chapter, together with the license number and the description
and make of such vehicle, with the date and complete record of inspections
made of it. Such record shall be open to the inspection of the public
at all reasonable times. If a taxicab shall be disabled, disqualified
for service or sold, the Commissioner of Police may, in his or her
discretion, permit the license granted for such taxicab to be used
in connection with the taxicab purchased in its place. Should the
state license number of a taxicab be changed during the term of the
taxicab license, such change and number shall be immediately reported
by the licensee to the Commissioner of Police and the Clerk.
[Amended 5-6-1964 by Ord. No. 8-1964; 6-16-1970 by Ord. No. 6-1970; 5-1-1974 by Ord. No. 1-1974; 5-18-1977 by Ord. No. 4-1977; 8-15-1979 by Ord. No. 6-1979; 3-5-1986 by L.L. No. 2-1986; 4-21-1993 by L.L. No. 2-1993; 2-6-2002 by L.L. No. 2-2002; 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
B.
Maximum fares to or from railroad station. The maximum
fares for taxicabs between the railroad station and points within
the taxicab zones shall be as follows:
|
Route
|
Maximum Fare
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Between railroad station
|
$6.00
| |
|
and points in Zone A
| ||
|
Between railroad station
|
$7.00
| |
|
and points in Zone B
| ||
|
Between railroad station
|
$7.50
| |
|
and points in Zone C
| ||
C.
Maximum fares between points other than to or from
railroad station. The maximum fare between points within Zone A other
than the railroad station shall be the regular fare of Zone A, plus
$0.50, and between points within other zones or between other zones
shall be the regular fare of the highest zone involved, plus $0.50.
D.
Minimum fare. The minimum fare on Saturdays, Sundays
and holidays shall be $6, and on other days between 12:00 midnight
and 6:00 a.m. it shall be $9.
E.
Additional passengers. Each additional passenger coming
from the same location as the passenger first engaging the taxicab
and going to the same destination shall pay $3.
F.
Single passengers. Any single passenger who shall
insist upon riding alone to the exclusion of other passengers waiting
at the point of origin may be charged two whole fares.
G.
Children. Children under six years, when accompanied
by an adult, shall not be charged.
H.
Rates per hour shall be as follows:
|
Service
|
Fee
|
|---|---|
|
Waiting time, shopping within the City, touring
|
$45
|
I.
Rate card and Taxi Fare Zone Map. A card on which
the above taxi fare rates are plainly printed and a copy of the Taxi
Fare Zone Map shall be fastened and maintained in a conspicuous place
in the taxicab so as to be conveniently read by passengers.
Every driver of a taxicab shall have the right
to demand payment of the legal fare in advance and may refuse employment
unless so prepaid, but no driver of a taxicab shall otherwise refuse
or neglect to convey any orderly person or persons upon request anywhere
in the City unless previously engaged or unable to do so.
All disputes as to fares shall be determined
by the officer in charge at the police station, and failure to comply
with such determination shall be a violation of this chapter and punishable
as hereinafter provided. Whenever a passenger asks for a receipt,
it shall be given to him by the driver. Such receipt shall state the
name of the driver, the name of the owner of the taxicab, the number
of the taxicab, the time when the trip began and ended and the amount
of fare collected.
No person shall charge or attempt to charge
any person a greater rate of fare than that to which the taxicab is
entitled under the provisions of this chapter.
No vehicle offered to the public for hire, while
waiting employment by passengers, shall stand on any public street
or place other than a taxicab stand designated in accordance with
the rules and ordinances of the City; nor shall any driver of such
vehicle seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving his
vehicle to and from in a short space before, or by otherwise interfering
with the proper and orderly access to or egress from, any theater,
hall, hotel, public resort, railway or ferry station or other place
of public gathering; but any such driver may solicit employment by
driving through any public street or place without stops, other than
those due to obstruction of traffic, and at such speed as not to interfere
with or impede traffic, and may pass and repass before any theater,
hall, hotel, public resort, railway or ferry station or other place
of public gathering; provided that after passing such public places
he shall not turn and repass until he shall have gone a distance of
at least 500 feet upon the streets and highways of the City; and no
person shall solicit passengers for a public vehicle as aforesaid,
upon the public streets of the City, except the driver thereof, when
sitting upon the driver's seat of his vehicle.
Every driver of a taxicab, immediately after
the termination of any hiring or employment, must carefully search
such taxicab for any property lost or left therein, and any property,
unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner, must be taken to
the police station and deposited with the officer in charge within
24 hours after the finding thereof.
