[Amended 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. O-7-15; 3-13-2017 by Ord. No. O-02-17]
No person shall operate or permit a taxicab owned or controlled
by him or her to be operated as a vehicle for hire without having
first obtained a taxicab license from the City of Rahway after approval
by the Police Chief. The number of outstanding certificates shall
be limited to a total of 25 taxis.
[Amended 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. O-7-15]
An application for a taxicab license shall be filed with the
Police Chief upon forms provided by the Police Department, and the
application shall be verified under oath and shall furnish the following
information:
A.
Name, address, date of birth, telephone, social security and motor
vehicle operator license numbers of the applicant.
B.
Experience of the applicant in the transportation of passengers.
C.
Any facts which the applicant believes tend to prove that public
convenience and necessity require the granting of a taxicab license.
D.
Number of vehicles to be operated or controlled by the applicant,
and the location of proposed depots and terminals.
E.
Four photographs (minimum size of 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2
inches) of each taxi (full frontal, full rear and bumper-to-bumper
left and right side views). (This requirement shall not apply to renewal
application but to initial applications under this chapter and replacement
vehicles only.)
F.
A statement as to whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted
of any violation of the law in this or any other jurisdiction, other
than minor motor vehicle violations not resulting in the suspension
or revocation of his driver's license or vehicle registration nor
in damage or injury to the property or persons of others, and if so,
a statement of the nature of each such conviction, the penalty imposed
for each such conviction and the date and place at which each such
conviction was entered.
G.
A statement to the effect that prior to or concurrent with the filing
of the application, the applicant's fingerprints have been recorded
with the Police Chief or his designee.
H.
Such other information the Police Chief may require.
The Police Chief shall cause to be made a thorough
and careful inspection of the taxicab to determine whether the vehicle
is of good appearance, well painted and in a clean and sanitary and
safe condition for the transportation of passengers. He may condition
the approval of the application upon the correction, to his satisfaction,
of any defect which such inspection may reveal, or he may deny the
application for failure to correct any such defect.
[Amended 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. O-7-15]
A.
No application shall be approved, nor shall any license be issued,
unless the Police Chief or his designee determines:
(1)
That the applicant is of good character, fit, willing and able to
provide such public transportation and to conform to all of the conditions
and provisions of this chapter.
(2)
That the vehicle is covered by a bond or liability insurance policy
inuring to the benefit of any person or persons who may sustain injury
or damage by reason of the negligence of the applicant or his agents,
servants or employees arising out of or in the course of the use of
the vehicle as a taxicab and providing for limits of not less than
$15,000 for injury to any one person, $30,000 for injuries to more
than one person sustained in the same accident, and $5,000 for property
damage resulting from any one accident.
(3)
That the vehicle is validly registered in the State of New Jersey,
bears on each side, in letters readable at a distance of 20 feet,
the name of the licensee and bears a color scheme or insignia sufficiently
distinctive to identify it as a taxicab and to differentiate it from
the taxicab or taxicabs of any other licensees at a distance of 50
feet. If more than one taxicab is owned or operated by any licensee,
each such taxicab shall be designated by a different number, which
number shall also appear on each side and the rear of the vehicle.
B.
If the Police Chief finds that all of the foregoing conditions and
provisions have been met or complied with and that the public convenience
and necessity will be served by the issuance of such license, he shall
approve the application and shall cause to be issued to the applicant
a taxicab license stating the name and address of the applicant, a
description of the vehicle and such other information as he may deem
appropriate; otherwise, the application shall be denied.
C.
In making the above findings, the Police Chief shall take into consideration
the number of taxicabs already in operation, whether existing transportation
is adequate to meet the public need, the probable effect of increased
service on local traffic conditions, and the character, experience
and responsibility of the applicant.
D.
If the application is denied, written reasons for such denial shall
be given to the applicant. The applicant may appeal such denial to
the Business Administrator in writing within 20 days of his or her
receipt of the written reasons for denial. A hearing shall be scheduled
upon at least 10 days' notice to the applicant.
[Amended 10-9-1984 by Ord. No. A-23-84]
It is hereby determined that the number of taxicabs
which may be licensed under this chapter and which are deemed necessary
for the convenience of the residents of the city shall not exceed
30; provided, however, that the preference shall be given in the granting
of such licenses to those applicants holding a current taxicab license
who have filed for a renewal thereof prior to January 1 of each year.
[Amended 7-14-2003 by Ord. No. O-29-03; 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. O-7-15]
All taxicab licenses shall be issued for the
calendar year and shall expire on December 31 of each year. The fee
for a new license shall be $75, and the fee for a renewal license
shall be $40.
[Amended 7-14-2003 by Ord. No. O-29-03; 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. O-7-15]
Any taxicab license issued hereunder may be
transferred to another person or another vehicle upon compliance with
this chapter and approval by the Police Chief of an application therefor
and the payment of a fee of $50 to the Police Department. Upon approving
such transfer application, the Police Chief shall cause the initial
license to be canceled and a replacement therefor issued in accordance
with the application.
