No person shall drive a taxicab within the City unless he (or she) shall have obtained from the Chief of Police a taxicab driver's permit for that purpose.
All applicants for a taxicab driver's permit shall be fingerprinted and submit two photographs, two inches by two inches in size, of themselves to the Chief of Police. One of the photographs of the applicant shall be retained in the files of the Police Department and the other photograph of the applicant shall be attached to the taxicab driver's permit which may be issued to such applicant.
The Chief of Police may require of an applicant for a taxicab driver's permit that he (or she) take a medical examination and submit its findings to the Chief of Police.
The Chief of Police shall grant a taxicab driver's permit to the applicant therefor unless such applicant shall, in the opinion of the Chief of Police, be disqualified because of physical condition, including defective hearing or defective eyesight, addiction to intoxicating liquors, narcotics or drugs, or has been convicted of violating any law or ordinance involving moral turpitude.
Appeals from decisions made by the Chief of Police with reference to any taxicab driver's permit shall be through the City Manager and City Council.
Taxicab drivers' permits shall expire annually on March 31, unless sooner revoked, suspended or invalidated as provided by this article.
The driver of a taxicab shall at all times have the taxicab driver's permit, with his (or her) picture pasted thereon, as granted by the Chief of Police, posted in the vehicle being driven by him (or her), in such manner that it will be in full view of passengers.
Taxicab drivers' permits issued and posted under the provisions of this article and the photograph attached thereto shall be kept in good condition. The Chief of Police shall require the holder of a taxicab driver's permit to replace such permit and the photograph attached thereto when, in his (or her) opinion, the taxicab driver's permit has become dirty, disfigured or mutilated so that it cannot be read or the holder of the permit cannot be identified by his (or her) photograph.
Upon conviction of the holder of a taxicab driver's permit of the violation of any criminal law involving moral turpitude, the permit of the person so convicted shall become void and the holder of such permit shall forthwith surrender it to the Chief of Police.
The General District Court shall have power to revoke or suspend a taxicab driver's permit for repeated violations by the holder thereof of the provisions of Chapter 394, Vehicles and Traffic, of this Code or other traffic laws or regulations, failure to report an accident, operation of a vehicle not in good order, conviction of reckless driving, charging illegal rates, violation of laws and ordinances or failure or refusal to complete accepted calls in the absence of satisfactory reasons.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any taxicab to permit such taxicab to be driven by any person who does not have a valid and effective taxicab driver's permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this article.