City of Rochester, NY Article V Hotel/Motel Courtesy Vehicles

[Amended 5-12-1992 by Ord. No. 92-175; 6-14-1994 by Ord. No. 94-171; 5-14-1996 by Ord. No. 96-155; 3-23-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-74; 5-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-110[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that it would take effect 7-1-2005.

§ 108-26 License plate required.

A. No person shall operate a vehicle as a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle unless a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle license plate is attached to the rear of the vehicle.

B. All such licenses shall expire on the 30th day of June after their issuance, unless revoked, surrendered or abandoned at an earlier time.

C. The license fee shall be $550 annually.

[Amended 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-205[1]; 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-221]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 7-1-2008.

D. The holder of a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle license shall be permitted to renew the license annually, provided that he or she complies with all provisions of this chapter. The application for such renewal must be filed with the City Clerk not later than the 30th day of June of each successive license year. If the application for renewal is not made within this time, the holder will be deemed to have abandoned the license.

E. If a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle license plate is lost or stolen, the holder shall immediately report said loss or theft to the City Clerk, who shall issue a replacement upon payment of a fee of $60 and upon the receipt of an affidavit from the holder stating the reason for such replacement. The City Clerk shall immediately notify the Chief of Police that replacement has been made and shall forward the affidavit to him or her.

[Added 9-19-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-293; amended 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-205[2]; 7-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-221]

[2] Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 7-1-2008.

F. There shall be a fee of $10 for replacement of a lost certificate.

[Added 6-17-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-205[3]]

[3] Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 7-1-2008.

§ 108-27 Hotel/motel courtesy vehicle restrictions. [1]

A. A hotel/motel courtesy vehicle shall only transport hotel/motel guests between a hotel or motel and an airport, bus terminal, railroad station, ferry terminal or other common-carrier station, or the guest's business destination, and shall not make intermittent stops to discharge or take on passengers at places other than those designated in this section.

B. No hotel/motel courtesy vehicle driver shall charge a passenger a fare for any hotel/motel courtesy vehicle service.

[1] Editor's Note: Former §§ 108-27 through 108-31 were renumbered as §§ 108-30 through 108-34, respectively, 5-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-110.

§ 108-28 Inspections.

A. No person shall operate a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle within the City unless said vehicle has passed a standard New York State motor vehicle inspection during the preceding six months and has a properly affixed and current inspection sticker.

B. No person shall operate a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle within the City unless said vehicle has passed a City of Rochester vehicle inspection during the preceding six months and has a properly affixed and current City inspection sticker indicating compliance with the provisions of § 108-29A.

C. The Chief of Police or his or her designee is authorized to establish the schedule(s) for the inspections specified in Subsection B.

D. Upon failure by a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle of the City of Rochester vehicle inspection, any prior City inspection sticker shall be removed from the vehicle immediately. The owner of the vehicle shall be notified of such failure and the removal of the inspection sticker. Unless such time period is extended by the Chief of Police or his or her designee for reason of serious illness or personal injury or other good cause, the hotel/motel courtesy vehicle operator shall have 30 days in which to make any necessary changes or repairs to the vehicle and pass a reinspection. Failure to make the changes and repairs required for passage of such reinspection within the prescribed time period shall constitute abandonment of the applicable license.

[Amended 2-14-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-22]

E. The Chief of Police or his or her designee may make or cause to be made at any time a further inspection of any vehicle used as a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle in the City, and if said vehicle is found to be unsafe, unclean, unhealthful or unsuited for public patronage, the Chief may order the discontinuance of the use of said vehicle as a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle.

§ 108-29 Vehicle requirements.

A. No person shall operate a hotel/motel courtesy vehicle in the City unless such hotel/motel courtesy vehicle meets all of the following requirements:

(1) All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall have windows in the rear and side of the vehicle sufficient in number and of such size, dimensions and clarity that passengers may be readily seen and identified through the windows.

(2) All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall be equipped with hubcaps, spoked covers or other equivalent covering on all wheels. All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall be furnished with snow tires or radial tires on both drive wheels from November 1 through April 15.

(3) All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall be free from disfiguring damage to the interior and exterior of the vehicle, including significant rust. All doors, lights, seat belts and safety equipment shall be maintained in good operating condition. All seat belts shall be visible and available for use by passengers in both the front and rear seats at all times.

(4) All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall be equipped with doors which fasten in a manner so that they may be readily opened from the inside by a passenger.

(5) All hotel/motel courtesy vehicles shall have printed lettering on both the left and right side at least three inches high in a color contrasting to that of the vehicle, setting forth the name of the hotel/motel operating the vehicle.