Unless otherwise expressly stated, whenever used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
DRIVER
Any person actually engaged in the driving of a taxicab either for himself or as the employee of an operator.
OPERATOR
Any person, firm, association or corporation, whether owner or lessee, engaged in the business or operation of one or more taxicabs.
PASSENGER
A person paying a fee for transportation.
RATE CARD
A card issued by the Village for display in each taxicab, which contains the rates of fare then in force.
STREET
Any street, alley, avenue, court, bridge, lane or other public place within the Village.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of less than eight persons and not operated on a fixed route.
TAXI STAND
A public place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere in the Village, which has been designated by the Board of Trustees of the Village as reserved exclusively for the use of all taxicabs licensed hereunder.
TRIP CARD
A daily record, prepared by the driver of a taxicab, of all trips made by such driver, showing time and place of origin, destination, number of passengers, the amount of fare for each trip and the time such driver went on and off duty.
VILLAGE
The Incorporated Village of Freeport.
ZONE
An area within the Village established by the Board of Trustees for the purpose of determining the rates to be charged for the hiring of taxicabs.
Every person licensed as a taxicab owner under this article shall maintain continuous service seven days each week and 24 hours each day, except that individual owner-drivers shall maintain continuous service at least eight hours per day and at least five days each week.
Every operator shall adopt a distinguishing color scheme, design or dress for all vehicles operated by him and shall use the same on all such vehicles so operated by him and licensed hereunder and shall in all cases have the name under which the license is issued legibly printed on said vehicles on both sides thereof. Such color scheme, design or dress shall not imitate or so closely resemble the color scheme, design or dress used or adopted by other operators as to be confused therewith but shall be so distinctive as to be readily identified either by patrons or by the Police Department.
Each taxicab operated hereunder shall have a permanently affixed roof light with the word "Taxi" imprinted thereon in such manner that it shall be visible at all times, and, each taxicab shall bear, on the outside of each front door, the word "Taxi" and the name of the person or corporation to whom the license was issued in letters three inches in height, either painted thereon or otherwise securely affixed thereto. There shall also be affixed to the left front door, in a conspicuous place, the medallion issued by the Village Clerk as hereinabove provided. The number appearing on the medallion shall be painted on the right front door in a conspicuous place. Such number shall be four inches in height.
[Amended 4-12-1976 by LL No. 5-1976; 9-16-1991 by L.L. No. 3-1991]
No taxicab shall be operated upon the streets of the Village unless there are displayed in such taxicab the taxicab operator's license, with his picture in an illuminated holder in a manner in which it is clearly visible and can readily be observed by all passengers therein, and the rate card and a copy of the Taxicab Rate Zone Map as set forth in § 188-9 hereof.
A. 
Authority of Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may from time to time, after public notice and a public hearing, establish, abolish, enlarge or diminish the boundaries of any zones and establish the rates of fare which shall be charged for transportation from, to, within and between the various zones so established.
B. 
Map adopted. The boundaries of these zones are hereby established as shown on the map thereof entitled "Taxicab Rate Zone Map, dated April 30, 1963," a copy of which said map, identified by the signature of the Village Clerk, is filed in the office of the Village Clerk. Said map is hereby declared to be a part of this article.
C. 
Interpretation. A plot of land and any improvements thereon shall be considered to be in the zone in which the major portion of the street line of each plot shall be located as shown on said map.
No fare shall be charged for transportation other than the prescribed fixed rates.
[Amended 9-21-1970; 12-17-1973; 4-12-1976 by L.L. No. 5-1976; 6-11-1979 by L.L. No. 7-1979; 6-2-1980 by L.L. No. 6-1980; 6-23-1980 by L.L. No. 8-1980; 9-16-1991 by L.L. No. 4-1991]
The Board of Trustees, by resolution, shall adopt and, from time to time, may amend a schedule of taxicab rates and charges to be charged for transportation from, to, within and between the various zones so established.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The current resolution is on file in the office of the Village Clerk.
[Amended 4-12-1976 by L.L. No. 5-1976; 9-16-1991 by L.L. No. 5-1991]
The schedule of rates of fare charged by operators of taxicab service, in legible form, shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the passenger compartment facing the passenger seat of each taxicab. In addition to the rates of fare, the rate card shall clearly set forth, in legible form, the charges for packages other than groceries, for luggage, grocery packages and any discount fares or other charges authorized from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees. Said rate card shall further state that a written receipt is available from the driver upon request of the passenger. A copy of the Taxicab Rate Zone Map, in legible form, shall also be so displayed. For purposes of compliance with this section, the schedule of rates of fare and charges and the Taxicab Rate Zone map may be consolidated into a single card, provided that the same is in legible form.
No taxicab owner or driver shall demand or suggest that any passenger or prospective passenger pay a fare other than that prescribed by this article.
It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to pay the legal fare for any taxicab hired by him, and it shall be unlawful for any person to hire any vehicle herein defined with the intent to defraud the operator and/or driver from whom it is hired of the value of such service.
A. 
Designation. The Board of Trustees may from time to time, by resolution, establish stands at such locations upon the streets or other public places of the Village as it deems necessary for the use of taxicabs operated and licensed hereunder and prescribe the number of taxicabs that may occupy each such stand.
B. 
Use. All taxi stands may be used by any taxicab licensed hereunder, provided that there is a vacant space available therefor. No vehicle, other than a taxicab duly licensed by the Village hereunder, shall occupy any space established as a taxi stand at any time.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to a fine of not more than $100. In addition, any violation of this chapter shall constitute disorderly conduct, and the person so violating the same shall be declared a disorderly person.