[HISTORY Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bergenfield 12-16-1975 by Ord. No. 1046 as Sec. 6-13 of the Revised General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Taxi parking — See Ch. 186, § 186-81.
Licensing — See Ch. 198.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 299.
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. 13-2460]
All public hacks, cabs, omnibuses, automobiles, limousines or other vehicles used for the transportation of passengers for hire shall be licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. No person shall operate or drive or cause to be operated or driven any such public hack, cab, omnibus, automobile, limousine or other vehicle for such purpose, unless the same shall have been licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The license required by this section shall be known as the "owner's license.''
A. 
No owner's license shall be issued for any vehicle herein required to be licensed until the owner thereof shall have filed an application in writing addressed to the "Police Committee of the Borough Council," setting forth the character of the vehicle proposed to be licensed, the correct name of the owner thereof, the residence of the owner, and such other facts as the police committee may require, and until the vehicle proposed to be licensed shall have been inspected by the Police Committee or some person designated by such Committee, and until there shall have been paid to the Borough Clerk, for the use of the Borough, the license fee hereinafter provided.
B. 
No owner's license shall be issued to anyone until there has been filed with the Borough Clerk a policy of insurance with the premium prepaid thereon of a company duly licensed to transact business under the insurance laws of the State of New Jersey in the sum of $500,000 against loss from liability imposed by law upon the owner for damages on account of bodily injury or death suffered by one person; and in the sum of $1,000,000 against loss from liability imposed by law upon the said owner for damages on account of bodily injury or death suffered by more than one person as a result of an accident occurring by reason of the ownership, maintenance or use of the vehicle so licensed within the Borough and the sum of $50,000 against loss from liability imposed by law upon the said owner for personal property damage suffered by any person or persons as a result of an accident occurring by reason of ownership, maintenance or use of the vehicle so licensed and such permit to continue effective and operative only as long as the insurance policy shall remain in force and effect, and the full amounts payable thereunder shall remain collectible. The insurance policies shall provide for the payment of any final judgment received by any person or persons on account of the ownership, maintenance and use of the vehicle or any fault in respect thereto and shall be for the benefit of any person suffering loss, damage or injury as aforesaid, and shall recite on its face that it is issued in pursuance with this chapter. This provision shall become effective on and after August 1, 1966. The license of any owner failing to comply with this chapter within the prescribed time shall be deemed to be revoked.
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. 13-2460]
A. 
A taxicab license may be sold, assigned or otherwise transferred with the consent of the Borough Council and upon the filing of an application as provided in § 303-2.
B. 
A transfer fee of $10 shall be paid to the Borough Clerk. In addition, the applicant shall pay a prorated license fee which shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of § 198-8B of the Code and which shall be rebated to the original licensee.
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. 13-2460]
No person shall drive or operate as driver or chauffeur, or otherwise, any public hack, cab, omnibus, automobile, limousine or other vehicle used for the transportation of passengers for hire, unless such person shall have a license issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The license herein required shall be known as "driver's license."
A. 
No driver's license shall be granted to any person, unless such person is at least 18 years of age, is a citizen of the United States of America, and until such person shall have filed an application in writing addressed to the "Police Committee of the Borough Council" setting forth his full name, his place of residence, age and a certification as to his good moral character and ability, signed by at least two citizens of Bergen County, and such other facts as the Police Committee may require, and shall have paid to the Borough the license fee herein provided.
B. 
In addition to these requirements, it shall be necessary that there be placed on file a certificate issued by the Chief of Police of the Borough of Bergenfield, certifying that the applicant has been photographed, fingerprinted and his record investigated.
No owner's license or driver's license shall be issued to any person who has not been a resident of Bergenfield for at least 30 days prior to the date of making application, unless the Borough Council shall, by resolution, determine and declare that there are an insufficient number of public conveyances or drivers or operators thereof, and therefore the Police Committee may in their its discretion authorize the issuance of owner's licenses, or driver's licenses to nonresidents of Bergenfield, provided that application for such licenses by residents of Bergenfield shall receive preference over those who are nonresidents. This portion shall not apply to owner's license issued to domestic corporations, and shall not apply to driver's license issued to drivers actually in the employ of such domestic corporations holding an owner's license.
A. 
The Police Committee of the Borough Council shall have the power to approve or disapprove the application for licenses herein provided for and shall also have the power and is hereby authorized to refuse to approve any application for any license, if it shall appear to the best interests of the Borough that the license should not be granted. The Police Committee shall grant no more licenses of either of the classes than, in its opinion, are adequate to meet the public requirements.
B. 
The licenses herein provided for shall be signed by the Borough Clerk and have the Borough Seal affixed thereto. The Borough Clerk shall not issue any license until the application therefor has been approved by the Police Committee, or by the Borough Council, including the payment of the license fees.
[Amended 2-1-1977 by Ord. No. 1072]
A. 
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:16-17, the Clerk of the municipality in which the owner has his principal place of business, upon the filing of the required insurance policy and payment of a fee which shall not exceed a total sum of $50 for each limousine service plus $10 for each limousine which is covered under the required insurance policy, shall issue in duplicate a license showing that the owner of the limousine has complied with the terms and provisions of this article.
[Amended 6-18-2013 by Ord. No. 13-2460; 9-9-2021 by Ord. No. 21-2585]
B. 
The fee to be paid for a driver's license shall be the sum of $5 per license annually. Each applicant for a driver's license must file with his or her application two recent photographs of himself of herself, one of which shall be attached to the license when issued, the other one shall be filed with the application in the Borough Clerk's office. Each licensed driver shall at all times have openly and conspicuously exhibited in the cab such license and photograph.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection C, regarding the fee for taxi owner/limousine operating licenses, added 3-21-1995 by Ord. No. 2177, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 7-7-2015 by Ord. No. 15-2478.
A. 
The owner's license and the driver's license herein provided for shall each bear a number and shall state the name of the person licensed; in case of an owner's license, such license shall briefly describe the vehicle licensed, and if the vehicle has a license number issued by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, the number shall also be stated in the license, and the license shall also state the manufacturer's number of such motor vehicle. In case of a driver's license, such license shall also give a brief physical description of the person to whom it is issued.
B. 
The Borough Clerk shall keep a register of all licenses granted under the provisions of this chapter, which register shall show the character of the license, its number, date of issue, name of person licensed. The Clerk shall also keep all applications, and upon those which may be granted, he shall endorse the number of the license issued in pursuance thereof.
[Amended 2-1-1977 by Ord. No. 1072]
A. 
The charge for carrying passengers from any point within the Borough limits to any other point therein shall be as follows. The Borough shall be divided into six zones.
(1) 
North of East Main Street to the Dumont line bounded by the railroad on the westerly side and by the Boroughs of Tenafly and Cresskill on the easterly side.
(2) 
South of East Main Street to Highland Avenue and East Broad Street bounded by the railroad on the westerly side and by the Borough of Tenafly on the easterly side.
(3) 
South of Highland Avenue and East and West Broad Streets to Liberty Road and Ivy Lane and the boundary line of the City of Englewood; bounded by the railroad on the westerly side and by the Borough of Tenafly on the easterly side.
(4) 
North of West Main Street to the Dumont line; bounded by the Borough of New Milford on the westerly side and the railroad on the easterly side.
(5) 
South of West Main Street to Hallberg Avenue and West Broad Street; bounded by the Borough of New Milford on the westerly side and the railroad on the easterly side.
(6) 
South of Hallberg Avenue and West Broad Street to the Teaneck boundary line; bounded by the Borough of New Milford on the westerly side and the railroad and the Township of Teaneck on the easterly side.
B. 
A base fare shall be established at the rate of $1.50 for a trip encompassing two zones or less, with an increment charge of $0.25 upon the vehicle proceeding into each change in zone; thereafter, however, the maximum fare shall be $2.
C. 
In addition, the charge for senior citizens (65 years of age or older) shall be at the base fare of $1 for a trip encompassing two zones or less, with an increment charge of $0.15 upon the vehicle proceeding into each change in zone; thereafter however, the maximum fare for senior citizens shall be $1.30. The maximum charge for each additional passenger shall be $0.15. Waiting time shall be paid at the maximum rate of $0.15 for the first five minutes or a fraction thereof and $0.05 for each additional minute.
D. 
Every vehicle licensed hereto shall have fastened in a conspicuous place therein a printed card showing the rates herein provided for in letters and figures of not less than 1/2 inch in height, which card shall also bear the license number of such vehicle and also the name of the owner thereof.
Every vehicle licensed hereunder having a seating capacity of not more than seven persons shall at all times bear upon both sides of such vehicle, in such places as designated by the Police Department, the words "BERGENFIELD LICENSE" in letters of such character that the same may be easily distinguishable.
Every holder of a driver's license when driving or operating any vehicle herein required to be licensed shall have in his possession the license issued to him. In case any such licensee shall lose such license, he may procure a duplicate thereof from the Borough Clerk, upon the payment of the sum of $3 for the reissuance.
A. 
No owner's license shall be granted for any vehicle which is not strong, clean and in good repair, and it shall be the duty of the Police Committee to cause an inspection of the licensed vehicle to be made at least once every three months, and in case any vehicle so licensed becomes unfit or unsuited for the transportation of passengers, the Police Committee shall cause such license to be revoked.
B. 
No vehicle herein required to be licensed shall be used or operated for the carrying of passengers, unless such vehicle is clean and in good repair.
C. 
All vehicles for hire shall contain no fewer than four doors, commonly known as a "four-door sedan" or "station wagon." In addition, all vehicles shall be equipped with a properly charged fire extinguisher, which shall be periodically inspected in accordance with the provisions of this section.
The Police Committee is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to make and adopt regulations respecting the use of vehicles licensed hereunder, of public hack stands, the number of licensed vehicles which may stand in any one place at the same time, as to the form and contents of applications for licenses, for the inspection of vehicles licensed and to be licensed hereunder, for the inspection of drivers licensed hereunder and such other regulations as may promote the public convenience. The following regulations shall apply:
A. 
No driver or other person interested in or connected with any vehicle licensed hereunder shall solicit customers in a noisy or offensive manner nor at any place other than the public hack stands in any manner whatever.
B. 
No driver of any licensed vehicle which is disengaged shall refuse to carry any orderly person upon payment of the rate of fare herein fixed.
C. 
No driver of any vehicle licensed hereunder shall permit such vehicle, when disengaged, to stand in any public street or place, other than a public hack stand, provided nothing herein shall prevent such driver from waiting for a passenger in front of any building or place.
A. 
Public hack stands are hereby established at such places as may be from time to time designated by the Police Committee or by the Borough Council. The Police Committee or Borough Council may designate the character of the vehicle which may stand at such public hack stand.
B. 
The location and capacity of any public hack stand shall be indicated by a sign substantially as follows:
"Public Hack Stand, Capacity . . . . . . ."
C. 
No vehicle other than one licensed hereunder and prepared to accept passengers upon request shall stand at any such public hack stand.
The Police Committee is hereby authorized and empowered to revoke any license issued hereunder for the violation of any law of the State of New Jersey, or the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter; or for the violation of any of the rules and regulations made, adopted and promulgated by the Police Committee in accordance with the provisions hereof. An owner's license may be revoked for misconduct of the driver of the licensed vehicle, if it appears that the owner of such vehicle had knowledge of such misconduct. No license shall be revoked until after the holder thereof shall be given a hearing by the Police Committee of which hearing at least 24 hours' written notice must be given to the holder of such license. The action of the Police Committee in granting or refusing to grant licenses or in revoking licenses may be appealed to the Borough Council, which, after a hearing, may by resolution adopted by a majority of the whole Council reverse the action of the Police Committee. If the license is not renewed on or before expiration date, there shall be an automatic requirement for a new application.
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, pay a fine not exceeding $50 or be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not exceeding 30 days, or both, in the discretion of the Municipal Judge before whom such person shall be convicted, who shall have the power to impose any fine or term of imprisonment, or both, not exceeding the maximum herein fixed. In default of the payment of any fine imposed upon any person convicted hereunder, such person may, in the discretion of the Judge, be imprisoned in the county jail for any term not exceeding 30 days.