[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Carneys Point 7-3-1946 as Ord. No. 66. Sections 191-1, 191-12 and 191-17 amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Other amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Jitneys — See Ch. 123.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 204.
[Amended 5-20-1985 by Ord. No. 393; 5-13-1992 by Ord. No. 531]
The following words and phrases and their derivatives, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings hereafter ascribed to them:
CRUISING
The practice of driving about the streets of the Township with a taxicab so as to solicit passengers or to bring the presence of the taxicab to the attention of prospective passengers. A taxicab driving along the streets of the Township for any purpose other than transporting a passenger, going to a definite destination by the most direct route in response to a call for a taxicab by a prospective passenger or returning by the most direct route to the taxicab's home terminus after discharging a passenger or going to or from said terminus to the driver's home by the most direct route shall be prima facie evidence of "cruising."
LICENSED
Licensed in accordance with the appropriate section of this chapter.
OPERATION OF TAXICAB
Consists of transporting in such taxicab one or more persons for hire along any of the streets in the Township. Accepting a passenger to be transported for hire from a point within or from a point without the Township limits or discharging a passenger transported for hire from a point within or without the Township limits shall be deemed "operation" by the owner as well as by the person actually operating the same. The transportation of any person other than the owner or driver in any motor vehicle bearing a sign therein or thereon using the words "taxi" or "taxicab" or "hack" shall be prima facie evidence of "operation."
OWNER
Any persons, corporation or association in whose name title to any taxicab is registered with the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles or who appears in such records to be the conditional vendee or lessee thereof.
PERSON
Includes the plural as well as the singular and artificial as well as natural persons.
TAXICAB
Any automobile or motorcar with a carrying capacity of not more than nine passengers, not including the driver, used in the business of carrying passengers for hire which is held out, announced or advertised to operate or run or which is operated or run over any of the streets or public highways of Carneys Point Township and which is hired by charter or for a particular contract or by the day or hour or other fixed period or to transport passengers to a specified place or places or which charges a fare or price agreed upon in advance between the operator and the passenger. A "taxicab" shall not include a "jitney," which is regulated pursuant to Chapter 123 of the Carneys Point Township Code.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Carneys Point, New Jersey.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, no person shall operate any taxicab on the roads, streets and highways of this Township unless the taxicab is licensed pursuant to this chapter and conforms to all the provisions thereof.
From and after the adoption of this chapter, the Township Committee of the Township of Carneys Point shall have authority to issue owners' licenses for the operation of taxicabs for hire on the roads, streets and highways of the Township of Carneys Point when, in its judgment, the applicant for such license is a proper person and the service is needful.
Any person or corporation desiring to obtain an owner's license to operate a taxicab for the transportation or conveyance of passengers for hire on the roads, streets and highways of the Township of Carneys Point shall first make application in writing to and file the same with the Township Clerk, which application shall be verified by the affidavit of the applicant and therein shall set forth the following facts:
A. 
The name of the owner.
B. 
The name of the automobile or automobiles, its or their description, the maker or makers, the number and year it or they were manufactured and the registration number or numbers issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles of New Jersey.
If a majority of those present of the Township Committee shall decide that the applicant is a proper person and that it is advisable to grant said owner's license, they shall have authority to do so.
[Amended 5-12-1976 by Ord. No. 277]
A. 
Upon favorable action by the Township Committee, the Township Clerk shall thereupon issue an owner's license to said applicant upon the payment of an annual license fee of $100 for the first automobile to be used by said owner as a taxicab and a further annual license fee of $50 for each additional automobile to be used by said owner as a taxicab, which license shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance.
B. 
No such license shall be issued by the Township Clerk until the owner shall have presented satisfactory proof to such Clerk that he has complied with all of the provisions of this chapter.
The number of taxicab owners' licenses under this chapter to be issued or outstanding in any one year shall not exceed five, but any persons as aforesaid granted an owner's license under this chapter may license any number of automobiles under the charge and control of the person applying therefor, and he shall be responsible for the operation of all automobiles licensed to him.
[Amended 2-19-1958 by Ord. No. 126; 5-12-1976 by Ord. No. 277]
Every owner of or applicant for a taxicab owners' license shall, prior to being issued such license or any renewal thereof, submit to the Township Clerk the insurance policy or certificate in lieu thereof required by N.J.S.A. 48:15-3, as amended, covering the taxicab to be licensed. The owner of each such license shall maintain a policy or policies containing insurance coverage in the following minimum amounts:
A. 
Fifty thousand dollars to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily injury to or death of any one person resulting from an accident, and $65,000 to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily injury to or death of all persons on account of any accident, by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of such taxicab upon the streets of the Township.
B. 
Five thousand dollars to satisfy any claim for damages to property of any one person resulting from an accident, and $10,000 to satisfy all claims for damages to property of all persons on account of any accident, by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of such taxicab upon the streets of the Township.
The Township Committee may, in its discretion, refuse to issue or renew or may, after notice and hearing, revoke or suspend any owner's license issued pursuant to this chapter if the licensee or any one of his taxicab operators have been once convicted of a crime in this or any other jurisdiction or convicted of being a disorderly person or of a violation of Title 39, Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulations, of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey or who violates any provision of this chapter or has any judgment unsatisfied of record against him arising out of an automobile accident or who has made false answer in his application for such license or any renewal thereof or who has failed or fails to render reasonable, prompt, safe and adequate taxicab service or who has not complied fully with all requirements of this chapter or who has, in any degree, contributed to any injury to person or damage to property arising out of negligent operation of a motor vehicle or if the motor vehicle licensed, by reason of unsafe or unsanitary condition, is dangerous to the safety or health of the occupants or if the policy of insurance required by N.J.S.A. 48:16-3 has once lapsed or such coverage is not maintained at all times.
Each applicant granted a taxicab owner's license shall be issued a license card for each automobile in a term approved by the Township Committee and signed by the Township Clerk in its behalf, such license card shall, at all times, be prominently displayed and adequately protected in the interior of each taxicab operated by the licensee so that the face thereof shall be at all times in full view and plainly legible to any passenger seated on the rear seat of such taxicab. Said license card shall, at all times, be and remain the property of the Township and on direction of the Township Committee shall at once be surrendered to the Township Clerk.
[Amended 5-20-1985 by Ord. No. 393]
No taxicab shall hereinafter be operated in this Township unless and until there is prominently displayed in the interior thereof within the full view and access of any passengers therein a complete list of fares, charges or tariffs.
[Amended 5-12-1976 by Ord. No. 277]
A. 
Every taxicab so licensed shall have prominently displayed on each side thereof the words "Taxicab — Carneys Point" in letters at least three inches high.
B. 
Every taxicab so licensed shall have prominently displayed on each side thereof, in letters at least one inch high, the name or names of the owner thereof, followed or preceded by the word "Owner."
No person shall park or rank any taxicab on any of the streets of the Township at any time except at such place or places as Township Committee may, from time to time, designate as municipal taxi stands.
No person shall cruise on the streets of this Township at any time except at such place or places as the Township Committee may from time to time designate as municipal taxi stands.
[Amended 5-20-1985 by Ord. No. 393]
Any person or persons who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment in the County jail for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of the Judge before whom such person is convicted.
[Added 5-12-1976 by Ord. No. 277]
Each taxicab licensed hereunder shall at all times conspicuously display omnibus or taxicab license plates issued by the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles.