Township of Mansfield, NJ Taxicabs

Any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, association, or person in whose name any regulated vehicle is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and/or who operates or will operate any regulated vehicle.

REGULATED VEHICLE

Any vehicle engaged in the carrying of passengers for hire, including but not limited to taxicabs, limousines, vans, minivans, omnibuses and all similar vehicles, but not including those public conveyances regulated exclusively by state or federal law.

§ 306-2 License required.

[Amended 3-9-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-03]

It shall be unlawful to maintain an office with vehicles for hire within the Township of Mansfield unless said regulated vehicle and driver thereof are licensed pursuant to this chapter. It shall also be unlawful to hire out, operate, or park any regulated vehicle within the Township of Mansfield unless otherwise licensed through another municipality showing proof of same.

§ 306-3 Term of license.

All operator's and driver's licenses issued under this chapter shall be valid from the date of their issuance through the following May 1. Renewed licenses shall be valid from May 1 through May 1 of the succeeding year unless suspended or revoked.

§ 306-4 Fees.

Operators shall be required to pay the following license fees:

For each regulated vehicle: $100 per vehicle.

For each driver: $50 per driver.

Any license issued for any regulated vehicle may be transferred in accordance with this chapter upon payment of a fee of $50.

§ 306-5 Issuance of licenses, transfers, licensing of substitute vehicles.

The Township Clerk is hereby authorized to issue licenses for regulated vehicles, and drivers of regulated vehicles licenses and driver's licenses upon receiving notice of approval of the application(s) therefor from the Mayor and Township Committee. The maximum passengers in a vehicle will be one passenger in the front seat and two or three passengers in each additional row of seating, depending upon the type of seating available. Each driver's license shall set forth the dates said license will remain effective and shall include a current and clear picture of the driver, the driver's full name, the operator's business name, and a brief description of the driver, including his or her age, height, complexion, color of hair and color or eyes. The maximum number of taxicab licenses outstanding at any time shall not exceed three licenses.

[Amended 3-9-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-03]

Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the renewal of license in existence on the effective date of the section.

Transfers; licensing of substitute vehicle:

(1)

No owner of any licensed taxicab or livery shall sell, lease, rent, assign, hire, transfer or in any other manner dispose of such taxicab or livery or any taxicab or livery business without notification to the Mayor and Township Committee; and no owner of any licensed taxicab or livery shall sell, lease, rent, assign, hire, transfer or in any other manner dispose of any taxicab license without first obtaining proper transfer of the license.

(2)

In the event that any licensed owner shall acquire a vehicle during any license period which is intended to be used as a substitute for one previously licensed, the owner thereof shall immediately notify the Township Clerk, in writing, of such substitution and apply for a transfer of the license from the previously licensed vehicle to the one to be substituted therefor. Subject to the provisions of this chapter and the payment of the transfer fee, the Township Clerk shall approve the transfer of such license.

(3)

During the period subsequent to such notification and prior to the approval or disapproval by the Mayor and Township Committee of the transfer of the license to permit the operation of such substituted vehicle, the owner may operate such substituted vehicle or cause the same to be operated, subject to the other provisions of this chapter.

(4)

Nothing herein contained, however, shall be construed as authorizing any person who is not presently licensed as an owner to operate or permit the operation of any taxicab or livery owned by him, as herein defined, prior to the granting to him of an owner's license; nor does it authorize the operation by a licensed owner of any additional vehicle for which no owner's license has been granted, pending approval by the Mayor and Township Committee.

§ 306-6 Insurance and power of attorney requirements.

Operators, upon applying for a regulated vehicle license, shall furnish proof of an insurance policy covering each regulated vehicle in accordance with N.J.S.A. minimum coverage requirements for each regulated vehicle are as follows: for taxicabs, at least $500,000 per occurrence; for limousines and all other regulated vehicles, at least $1,500,000 per occurrence. Operators must produce proof that the required insurance policy will be in effect and has been prepaid for the entire period the requested license will be effective (usually May 1 through May 1). Each owner shall also execute and deliver to the Township Clerk the required power of attorney in accordance with N.J.S.A. 48:16-1 et seq., as amended and supplemented from time to time.

§ 306-7 State inspection, parking and sign requirements.

Operators must provide proof that each regulated vehicle has been inspected by a state-operated inspection facility.

Operators must provide proof that each regulated vehicle has a garage or designated parking space located on private property, as permitted by law, where said vehicle will be stored when not in use. Written approval from the owner or renter of said private property must be produced. No more than one regulated vehicle may be stored at any single residential property located within the Township of Mansfield. The operators may request an exception for additional vehicles from the governing body and permission may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

All regulated vehicles must have permanently affixed signs on the driver and passenger doors setting forth the operator's business name, regulated vehicle license number, the maximum number of passengers allowed by said license, and the business office telephone number. If the word "taxi" or "cab" does not appear in the owner's name, then the word "taxi," "taxicab" or "cab" must also be painted on both sides. The letters and numbers on said signs must be at least three inches tall and two inches wide and must be clearly visible from a distance of 50 feet.

The schedule of fares to be charged shall be clearly and prominently displayed in each regulated vehicle. The schedule of fares shall also be provided with the annual application for a vehicle license.

§ 306-8 Business office to be maintained; hours and days of operation.

All operators, upon applying for one or more regulated vehicle licenses, shall be required to maintain a business office in any zone permitted for such an office within the Township of Mansfield. The address and telephone number of said office must be listed on all regulated vehicle locations.

§ 306-9 Photographs and fingerprints required.

Each applicant for a regulated vehicle driver's license shall, upon making application therefor, furnish his or her existing driver's license (nonprovisional) for a record check and three recent photographs of passport size, one of which shall be retained by the Township Clerk, another which shall be affixed to the driver's license, and the third which shall be affixed to a card suitably framed under any transparent covering such as plastic or other transparent nonbreakable glass covering approved by the Police Department and displayed in a prominent place in the interior of the regulated vehicle being driven. Said card must also contain a brief description of the driver, including his or her age, height, and complexion, color of hair and color of eyes.

Each applicant for license shall provide proof that he or she is either a citizen of the United States or has legal immigration status.

Each applicant shall be fingerprinted for a criminal history background check.

Each applicant must possess a satisfactory knowledge of traffic regulations and of geography of the Township.

§ 306-10 Records of trips.

The drivers of all regulated vehicles must keep a written record of each trip, including the date and exact time the trip commenced and ended and the number of passengers carried. Trip records must be maintained by the operator for at least one year and must be made available for inspection by the Police Department of the Township of Mansfield or any other law enforcement agency upon request.

No person shall cruise on the streets of the Township at any time for the purpose of soliciting passengers.

§ 306-11 Traffic regulations and limitation on solicitation.

All drivers will be held fully responsible for compliance with all traffic, parking and safety regulations on the road. In addition, all passengers will be required to enter and exit all regulated vehicles through the door or doors closest to the curb where said passengers are waiting for pickup or are being dropped off.

Regulated vehicles that are registered with the state as limousines shall not be allowed to solicit fares on the road and may only pick up passengers who have prearranged said limousine transportation by telephone.

§ 306-12 Refusal to issue license; suspension or revocation.

The Mayor and Township Committee may refuse to issue a license or suspend any license or revoke any license after notice and hearing if:

This chapter is violated in any particular way.

The operator or driver has been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, disorderly persons or frequent or significant violations of Title 39 of the Revised Status of New Jersey.

The driver fails to render reasonably prompt and adequate service while driving a regulated vehicle, has contributed to injury or person or property, or for other good cause.

The regulated vehicle has become unsafe or unsanitary, or the policy of insurance provided for in § 306-6 of this chapter has been allowed to lapse and no substitute has been furnished prior to the effective date of said lapse.

The falsification of any information contained in the application for a license.

§ 306-13 Violations and penalties.

Except as required by N.J.S.A. 48:16-1 et seq., any operator and/or driver found to have violated the provisions of this chapter may have his or her license issued hereunder suspended or revoked by the Mayor and Township Committee. Repeat offenders are subject to revocation of all their licenses issued hereunder. Furthermore, upon conviction of said violation by the Municipal Court, any operator and/or driver shall be subject to one or more of the following: a fine not exceeding $1,000, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days.