[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Westampton
10-18-1984 by Ord. No. 12-1984. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any person who drives a taxicab within the Township of Westampton.
Any motor vehicle, as aforesaid, which has been licensed in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter.
Transporting in such taxicab one or more persons for hire in, on
or along any of the streets or highways of the Township of Westampton or the
acceptance of a passenger to be transported for hire within the Township of
Westampton or from a point within said township to a point outside of said
township limits shall be deemed to be the operation of a taxicab within the
Township of Westampton under the terms hereof. The operation of a taxicab,
as above described, by one other than the owner of such taxicab shall be deemed
the operation by the owner as well as the person actually driving such vehicle.
The transportation of any person other than the owner or driver in any such
motor vehicle bearing a sign or signs therein or thereon and using the words
"taxi," "taxicab," "cab," "autocab" or "hack" shall be prima facie evidence
of operation.
Any person, corporation or association in whose name title to any
taxicab is registered with the Motor Vehicle Division of the State of New
Jersey or who appears in such records as a conditional vendee or lessee thereof.
Any individual, copartnership, association, corporation or joint-stock
company, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever,
and shall include the plural as well as the singular.
Any street, avenue, park, parkway, highway or any other public place
in the Township of Westampton.
Any automobile or motorcar, sometimes known as an "autocab," engaged
in the business of carrying passengers for hire, which is held out, announced
or advertised to operate or run or which is operated or run over any of the
streets or public highways of the Township of Westampton and particularly
accepts and discharges such persons as may offer themselves for transportation
from points or places to points or places within or without the Township of
Westampton.
The Township of Westampton.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, no person shall operate
any taxicab within the Township of Westampton unless such taxicab is licensed
pursuant to this chapter and conforms in all respects to the provisions hereof.
Any and all licenses issued pursuant to the terms of this chapter shall
expire at 12:00 midnight of the 31st day of March following the issuance thereof,
unless sooner surrendered, suspended or revoked.
All applications for the issuance or renewal of any license shall be
made to the Township Committee of the township on forms provided by said township.
A.Â
Each applicant for a license shall supply the information
requested on the application in full and shall verify the correctness of such
information by an oath or affirmation attached to such application, and such
application shall be filed with the Township Clerk/Administrator, together
with the proper fee, as hereinafter specified. As a part of such application,
each applicant shall file a schedule of rates showing the charges to be made
for the transportation of passengers.
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord.
No. 10-1992]
B.Â
Each applicant for a taxicab driver's license shall obtain
from the Police Department of said township an affidavit from an appropriate
officer of said Police Department to the effect that the applicant is of good
moral character and that he has sufficient knowledge of the traffic regulations
and geography of the township.
C.Â
Each applicant must furnish with the application for
such license a recent photograph of himself, three inches in length and four
inches in height, in duplicate. He must also furnish evidence that he has
been fingerprinted by the Police Department.
D.Â
Each applicant must submit the names and addresses of
two responsible property owners of the Township of Westampton as references.
F.Â
All changes of residence within 10 days on the part of
the holder of any taxicab driver's license issued under this chapter shall
be reported, in writing, to the Township Committee through the Clerk/Administrator
of the township and be directed to the Police Department of the township within
10 days.
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord.
No. 10-1992]
G.Â
The Township Clerk/Administrator shall submit the applications
to the Township Committee at the next succeeding meeting for action, and any
or all applications may be granted or refused by the majority vote of the
members of said body present at such meeting.
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord.
No. 10-1992]
The annual fee for each taxicab license issued, or for renewal thereof,
shall be $100 for each year for which the license is issued or renewed, except
that where any such license shall be issued on or after the 30th day of September,
the license fee shall be 1/2 of the sum, as aforesaid. No part of such fee
shall be refunded for any reason, except upon the denial of an application
for the issuance or renewal of a license by the Township Committee of the
township, in which event 60% of the fee deposited shall be returned to the
applicant, and 40% thereof shall be retained by the township as compensation
for the investigation of such application.
The Township Committee may, in its discretion, refuse to issue or renew
or may, after notice and hearing, revoke or suspend a license for the following
reasons:
A.Â
If the applicant or licensee has been convicted of a
crime in this or any other jurisdiction; or has been convicted of being a
disorderly person, or violates any provision of this chapter; or has any judgment
unsatisfied or record against him arising out of an automobile accident; or
has made false answers in his application for such license or any renewal
thereof; or has failed or fails to render reasonably prompt, safe and adequate
taxicab service; or has not complied fully with all the requirements of this
chapter.
B.Â
If the motor vehicle licensed or to be licensed by reason
of unsafe or unsanitary conditions is dangerous to the safety or health of
the passengers or other occupants thereof, or if statutory financial requirements
(N.J.S.A. 48:16-3 et seq), as presently existing or hereafter supplemented
or amended, have not been complied with or have lapsed, or if the financial
responsibility required thereby is not maintained at all times.
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord.
No. 10-1992]
Each applicant to whom or to which a taxicab license shall be issued
shall also be given a license plate or card made of such material and in such
form as the Township Committee shall decide, which shall at all times by kept
clearly legible and be displayed on or in the taxicab so licensed. Such license
plate or card shall, at all times, be considered the property of the Township
Committee, and it shall be surrendered to and deposited with the Clerk/Administrator
of the township.
Every taxicab so licensed shall have displayed on both sides thereof
the word "taxi" or "cab" in letters at least four inches high or the name
of the operating owner containing the word "taxi" or "taxicab."
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord.
No. 10-1992]
No such consent shall become effective until the owner of the taxicab
shall have filed with the Clerk/Administrator of the Township of Westampton,
in which operation is permitted, an insurance policy of a company duly licensed
to transact business under the insurance laws of this state, in the sum of
$500,000 against loss from the liability imposed by law upon the taxicab for
damages on account of bodily injury or death suffered by any one person and
in the sum of $300,000 against loss on account of property damage suffered
by any person or persons as a result of an accident occurring by reason of
the ownership, maintenance or use of such vehicle upon the public streets
of the township, and such consent shall continue effective and such operation
be permitted only so long as such insurance shall remain in force to the full
and collectible amount during the entire term of the policy. Such insurance
policy shall provide for the payment on any final judgment recovered by any
person on account of the ownership, maintenance and use of such taxicab or
any fault in respect thereto and shall be for the benefit of any person suffering
loss, damage or injury as aforesaid. In the event that the Legislature of
the State of New Jersey shall at any time increase the amounts of insurance
coverage provided in N.J.S.A. 48:16-3, then the owner shall comply by filing
a policy in the increased amounts.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment
for not more than 90 days, or both.
