Application for a vehicle for hire permit shall be made by the license holder thereof. Such application shall set forth under oath all information that the Examiner may require.
The Examiner may issue a vehicle for hire permit, if in his opinion, the vehicle is a proper one for engaging in such business. Such permit shall set forth the name, residence, place of business of the licensee, a description of the vehicle with its identification number and the number of seats exclusive of the operator. Such permit shall expire on December 31 of each year.
The fee for a vehicle for hire permit shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.), which amount shall include the processing fee payable at the office of the Town of Falmouth Police Department.
Any vehicle for hire licensee under these regulations who shall cease to be the owner of said vehicle for hire shall at once surrender the vehicle for hire permit for said vehicle to the Examiner, except said licensee may at the time of surrender of said permit, transfer said permit to another vehicle for hire without additional permit fees.
The Examiner may suspend or revoke a vehicle for hire permit at any time if, in his opinion, any section of these rules and regulations have been violated by the license holder. A license holder shall be notified in writing of any suspension or revocation. Said suspension or revocation shall state the specific reason or reasons for the suspension or revocation, and the license holder shall be informed of his rights to a hearing before the Selectmen by applying to them in writing for said hearing within five (5) days of receiving notice of suspension or revocation from the Examiner. A hearing shall be held by the Selectmen within ten (10) days of a written request, excluding Saturday, Sunday and holidays. At the hearing with the Selectmen, the licensee will have the opportunity to present testimony and other evidence, confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses and be represented by a representative of his choice. A request for a hearing shall not delay any suspension or revocation.
No vehicle for hire permit provided for in these regulations shall be sold, assigned or transferred.
A. 
No vehicle for hire permit shall be issued by the Examiner until the applicant shall have presented, to be filed with the application, a certificate of an insurance company authorized to transact business in the commonwealth, stating that the vehicle to which the permit applies is properly insured under the laws of the commonwealth. Such certificate shall state the name and address of the owner of the vehicle, the name of the company in which the licensee is insured, the amount and character of the insurance, and a statement that the insurance policy is applicable to passengers lawfully riding in the vehicle under the provisions of these and other regulations of the Town, and said policy shall state that it can not be revoked without ten (10) days' notice to the Examiner.
B. 
In addition to insurance coverage mandated by Massachusetts General Laws, the Town Manager may require additional insurance in amounts consistent with industry standards.
[Amended 4-10-2023 ATM by Art. 31, approved 6-9-2023]
Before a vehicle for hire is permitted and two times annually, at the time selected by the Examiner, such vehicle for hire shall be thoroughly inspected and examined by the Examiner or someone designated by him for the purpose of seeing that the vehicle for hire is safe for the transportation of passengers, clean inside and outside, of good appearance, and well painted. At the time of the semiannual inspection, the operator of the Vehicle for Hire shall present to the Examiner or his designee the vehicle for hire license and the inspection card supplied by the Town for each vehicle for hire. The Examiner or his designee shall, after inspecting the vehicle, either date and sign the inspection card and return the license and inspection card to the operator or inform the operator of corrections that must be made before the license and inspection card will be returned.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the holder of a taxicab license to display said vehicle for hire permit and a notice of the current rates of fare on the interior of the vehicle in clear view of the passenger(s) and so placed or secured in a frame so that it may not be easily molested or destroyed.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the holder of a limousine or livery license to display said permit on the interior of the vehicle in clear view of the passengers and so placed or secured in a frame so that it may not be easily molested or destroyed.
No owner shall permit, nor shall any person operate a vehicle for hire without a valid vehicle for hire permit, operator's license, a vehicle inspection card and a state inspection sticker on his/her person or within the vehicle in some easily accessible place.
The Examiner shall refuse to issue a vehicle for hire permit, or if already issued, shall revoke or suspend said permit for any vehicle for hire found to be unfit, unsafe, or unsuited for the purpose herein set forth.
Any vehicle for hire shall have affixed thereto such number plates as are prescribed for use by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which shall be attached to said vehicle in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The owner of any vehicle for hire shall notify the Examiner as soon as said number plates are received, as to the number of the plate and the identification of said vehicle upon which it is to be attached.
No owner of a licensed vehicle for hire, (classified as a taxicab), shall color his vehicle for hire in colors or designs so closely resembling other licensed Vehicles for Hire, classified as a taxicab, so as to mislead the public as to its identity.
Roof advertising signs with dimensions of fourteen (14) inches by sixteen (16) inches by forty-nine (49) inches [three and five-tenths (3.50) square feet of sign space] shall be allowed. No advertisements for alcohol or tobacco shall be allowed.