[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of East Hanover 7-24-1973 by Ord. No. 9-1973. Sections 144-4, 144-7, 144-8 and 144-9 amended at time of adoption
of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Other amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 155.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Transporting in a taxicab one or more persons for hire. Accepting
a passenger to be transported for hire from a point of departure within
the township to a destination within or without the township shall
be considered "operation of a taxicab" within the township. The "operation
of a taxicab" by one other than the owner shall be deemed operation
by the owner as well as by the person actually driving the taxicab.
The transportation of any person other than the owner or driver in
any motor vehicle bearing a sign using the word "taxi," "taxicab,"
"cab" or "hack" shall be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the
contrary, to be "operation of a taxicab."
Any person in whose name title to any taxicab is registered
with the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles or who appears in the
Division's records as a conditional vendee or lessee or has any
other proprietary interest in a taxicab.
A motor vehicle used to transport passengers for hire which
does not operate over a fixed route and is not hired by the day or
hour.
No person shall operate or drive a taxicab or
cause any taxicab to be operated or driven in the township without
having first obtained a license for every operator and every vehicle
to be so operated.
Before the Township Committee shall issue any
license for a taxicab other than the renewal of an existing license,
it shall be satisfied that public convenience and necessity so require.
An applicant for a taxicab license shall be
the owner of the vehicle and must be at least 18 years of age. An
applicant for a taxicab driver's license must be at least 18
years of age. All applicants for licenses under the provisions of
this chapter shall be of good moral character.
Application for a license required by this chapter
shall be made to the Township Clerk upon forms provided by the Clerk
and shall contain the following information:
A.
The name and address of the applicant; if the applicant
is a corporation, the name and address of its registered agent.
B.
A description of the taxicab sought to be licensed,
including the type of motor vehicle, the name of the manufacturer,
serial number, license number and seating capacity.
C.
Recommendations from at least two reputable citizens
of the Township of East Hanover.
The Township Committee shall, within 30 days
of the filing of the application, either grant or deny the license.
Applications shall be considered in the order in which they are received.
Each license shall expire on the 31st day of December following its issuance. The annual fee for a taxicab owner's license shall be as set out in Chapter 79, Fees and Licenses.
A.
No taxicab owner's license shall be transferred without the approval of the Township Committee and the payment of a transfer fee as set out in Chapter 79, Fees and Licenses. No such approval shall be granted to any person who is not qualified by the provisions of this chapter to obtain a taxicab owner's license. A licensee may be permitted to substitute a vehicle or driver in the place of a licensed vehicle and registered driver, provided notice of the proposed substitution is given to the Clerk, which notice shall contain the following information:
B.
During the period of substitution, the township license
number shall be transferred to the substituted vehicle. In the event
that permission is sought to substitute a vehicle or driver because
of damage or destruction of the vehicle or I injury or illness of
the driver, temporary permission for the substitution may be made
by the officer in charge of the Township Police Department. Temporary
permission from the Police Department shall be for a period of not
more than 72 hours.
All taxicab drivers shall register with the Police Department and complete such registration forms and questionnaires as the Police Department may appropriately require. Registrants may be required by the Police Department to supply photographs of themselves and shall be fingerprinted if the Chief of Police determines that this is necessary for the identification of the registrant. The fee for registration shall be as set out in Chapter 79. Fees and Licenses. Registration shall be evidenced by a registration certificate, which shall be displayed in the taxicab at all times while the registrant is operating it.
A.
Every licensed operator, when operating a taxicab,
shall have a valid taxicab driver's license in his possession
and shall exhibit a card containing the name of the owner of the vehicle,
the number of the owner's license and the rates of fares established
by this chapter.
B.
Every licensed operator shall, on demand, give to
any passenger a receipt indicating the name of the owner, the driver's
license number and the fare charged.
If at any time, in the opinion of the Township
Committee, it becomes advisable, the Committee may adopt by resolution
a schedule of rates which may be charged by the owners or drivers
of taxicabs or other vehicles for the transportation of passengers,
as in its judgment may seem fair and reasonable.
A.
No owner or driver shall refuse or neglect to accept
a passenger for a trip wholly or partially within the limits of the
Township of East Hanover, but this section shall not require any taxicab
owner or driver to accept for one trip more passengers than may lawfully
be carried in any of the municipalities adjacent to the township when
such trip is to be made partially within the limits of an adjacent
municipality.
B.
No person shall operate a taxicab unless it is equipped
with seat belts for the front and rear seats.
C.
No license shall give to the holder the right to occupy
any private place as a taxicab stand within the township.
D.
No person shall park a taxicab or loiter on any of
the public streets of the township when not actually engaged by a
fare-paying passenger.
E.
No person shall cruise any of the public streets of
the township for the purpose of soliciting passengers.
F.
No person operating a taxicab shall permit any person
other than the passenger being transported for hire in or about such
taxicab when in service as a taxicab, except with the permission of
the passenger.
G.
No owner or driver of any taxicab shall induce any
person to employ him by knowingly misinforming or misleading any such
person as to the time or place of the arrival or departure of any
train, nor shall any such owner or driver deceive any person, make
false representations to him or convey any passenger to any place
other than that requested by the passenger or over any route than
the most direct route to the passenger's destination.
H.
There is reserved to the Township Committee the right
to make such rules and regulations in relation to the operation of
taxicabs and the conduct of the operators thereof as the Committee
may from time to time determine to be necessary and proper in the
best interests of the citizens of the township.
Any person violating any provision of this chapter
shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding
$500 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both.
A separate offense shall be deemed to be committed on each and every
occasion or day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
