The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the licensing
and regulation of taxicabs, limousines, taxicab drivers and limousine
drivers in the Borough of East Rutherford to preserve and protect
the public safety and welfare.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meaning indicated:
CRUISING
Driving a taxicab or limousine on the streets or public places
of East Rutherford in search of or soliciting prospective passengers
for hire.
INSPECTION
"Reinspection" and "spot inspection," as the case may be,
shall mean any physical inspection of the subject vehicle to determine
compliance with this chapter, including riding in the subject vehicle.
LIMOUSINE
Any automobile or motor car used in the business of carrying
passengers for hire to provide prearranged passenger transportation
at a premium fare on a dedicated, nonscheduled, charter basis that
is not conducted on a regular mute and with a seating capacity in
no event of more than 14 passengers, not including the driver, provided
that such a vehicle shall not have a seating capacity in excess of
four passengers, not including the driver, beyond the maximum alpha
passenger seating capacity of the vehicle, not including the driver,
at the time of manufacture. Nothing in this chapter contained shall
be construed to include taxicabs, hotel buses or buses employed solely
in transporting school children or teachers or autobuses which are
subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation, or
interstate autobuses required by federal or state law or regulations
of the Department of Transportation to carry insurance against loss
from liability imposed by law on account of bodily injury or death.
OPERATOR'S LICENSE
A license issued by the Borough Clerk to a person to drive
a taxicab or limousine within the Borough of East Rutherford.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated
association or other legal entity.
SPOT INSPECTION
An inspection conducted/performed to a vehicle already licensed
in order to insure that the vehicle is in conformity with this chapter,
including riding in the subject vehicle.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle with a carrying capacity of not more than
eight persons, excluding the driver, and used to carry passengers
for hire, operated upon any street or on call or demand accepting
or soliciting passengers indiscriminately for transportation for hire
between such points along the streets as may be directed by the passengers
so being transported, provided that nothing in this chapter shall
be construed to include as a taxicab, an autobus, or a limousine when
such motor vehicle shall be hired for specific trips and shall be
subject to the direction of the person hiring the vehicle.
TAXICAB BUSINESS
A person or entity which engages in the business of offering
at least one taxicab or limousine to the public and which picks up
or is hired by a person within the Borough of East Rutherford.
No person shall operate a taxicab business, or advertise as
a taxicab business, within the Borough of East Rutherford without
having first obtained a company permit from the Borough Clerk.
A taxicab or limousine duly licensed by another municipality may discharge passengers in East Rutherford without a license under §
266-3 or
266-4; provided that no pickup of passengers is authorized by this section.
No person who owns a taxicab or limousine required to be licensed
under this chapter shall allow a person to operate such taxicab or
limousine unless such person is licensed to operate such vehicle in
accordance with this chapter. It shall be the obligation of the owner
of a taxicab or limousine to determine whether such operator is licensed
hereunder. Both the owner and the operator of a taxicab or limousine
shall be in a violation of this chapter if the operator is not properly
licensed.
[Amended 11-14-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-19]
A. No taxicab
or limousine license may be transferred or assigned to another vehicle,
unless there is consent given by the Mayor and Council upon recommendation
of the Chief of Police or his designees.
B. No operator’s
license may be transferred or assigned.
C. If the
information provided in any application filed with the Borough for
any license or permit required under this chapter shall change during
the effective term of any such license or permit, the license or permit
holder shall notify the Borough within two business days of the occurrence
of such change.
Upon the filing of an application, the Chief of Police or his
designee shall cause to be made an investigation of each applicant
for a taxicab business permit, a taxicab or limousine license or an
Operator's license, and, in the case of an application for a
taxicab license or a limousine license, an inspection of the vehicle
proposed by licensed.
A. Vehicle inspections shall be made within 20 days of the date of application
properly filed with the Borough Clerk.
B. The Borough shall not inspect any vehicle wherein such application
review discloses that no such license can be issued hereunder.
C. Upon receipt of notice by the Borough Clerk that a vehicle for which
a license is sought passed the required inspection, a license for
that vehicle will be issued as soon as practicable.
D. Written notice of the results and determination of any inspection
or reinspection shall be forwarded to the applicant within three business
days of such inspection. If a vehicle is not inspected within said
twenty-day period, or the applicant misses or cancels two appointments
to inspect such vehicle, such vehicle shall be deemed to have failed
the inspection and the inspection fee shall be forfeited.
E. The Mayor and Council may, by resolution, enact rules and regulations
to effectuate the licensing procedure and the scheduling of inspections
or reinspections that are consistent with this chapter.
Vehicles listed on a license may be substituted or replaced by other vehicles only after written authorization is granted by the Borough Clerk or her designee and payment of the transfer fee provided in §
266-10.
It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to pay the legal
fare after having hired the taxicab and it shall be unlawful for any
person to hire any taxicab with intent to defraud the person from
whom it is hired of the value of such service.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Borough Clerk
shall not issue more than the number of licenses for each type of
license, permit or registration required by this chapter:
Type of license, Permit or Registration
|
Maximum Number
|
---|
Company permit
|
8 with an East Rutherford address and 6 with an address outside
of East Rutherford
|
In addition to suspension and/or revocation of a license pursuant
to this chapter:
A. Any person who shall violate §
266-7 of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $2,000 for a third or subsequent offense.
B. Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter other than Section
266-7, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $250 for a first offense, not less than $500 for a second offense, or $1,000 for a third offense or subsequent offense, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed 90 days, or shall be required to perform community service for a period not to exceed 90 days, or both.
C. Any person who is convicted of violating any provisions of this chapter
within one year of the date of a previous conviction of the same section,
and who was fined for the previous violation, shall be sentenced by
the court to an additional fine as a repeat offender. The additional
fine imposed by the court upon a person for a repeated offense shall
not be less than the minimum or exceed the maximum fine fixed for
a violation of this chapter, but shall be calculated separately from
the fine imposed for the violation of the chapter.