[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Belvidere 5-17-1971 (Ch. 145 of
the 1987 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The licensing, regulating and inspecting of taxicabs, the licensing
of operators and drivers as hereinafter provided and the enforcement
of the provisions of this chapter shall be under the control of the
Town Council.
It shall be unlawful to engage in the business of operating
a taxicab in the Town of Belvidere without having secured a license
therefor. Applications for such licenses shall be made in writing,
in duplicate, to the Clerk, and shall state therein the name and address
of the applicant, the intended place of business and the number of
taxicabs to be operated, including the serial number, type, color,
age and make thereof. If the applicant is a corporation, the names
and addresses of the president and secretary shall be given. The number
of such licenses outstanding shall not exceed three at any time.
All applications shall be filed with the Town Clerk, who shall
submit said applications to the Town Council at the next succeeding
meeting for action, and any or all applications may be granted or
refused by the vote of the members of said body present at such meeting.
However, no application shall be refused unless the applicant or any
of those holding a beneficial interest in the applicant has been guilty
of the commission of a crime involving moral turpitude or is found,
following an investigation made, to be otherwise morally unfit or
unless the motor vehicles involved fail to meet the standards of fitness
hereinafter mentioned and said applicant neglects or refuses to effect
necessary corrections thereto.
No such license shall be issued or held by any person who is
not a citizen of good moral character; nor shall such license be issued
to or held by a corporation other than one organized and existing
under the laws of the State of New Jersey and maintaining an office
in the Town of Belvidere.
The annual fee, payable in advance, for such license shall be
$20, plus $10 for each taxicab operated. Whenever the number of cabs
so operated shall be increased during the license year, the licensee
shall notify the Clerk of such change and shall pay the additional
fee.
No taxicab shall be licensed or operated until it has been inspected
and approved for operation by the Chief of Police and Councilman in
charge of public safety of the Town of Belvidere. It shall be the
duty of the Chief of Police and Councilman in charge of public safety
to inspect every taxicab as often as may be necessary to determine
fitness and serviceability for public patronage. They may at any time
suspend the operation of a taxicab which in their judgment is unfit;
provided, however, such right of suspension shall not be exercised
unless such taxicab has inadequate brakes, lights, unsafe shock absorbers,
tires, whether from lack of tread or other apparent defects, inadequate
or malfunctioning horn or defective stabilizer bars or shall be otherwise
in such a state of disrepair or generally defective condition as to
make such taxicab unsafe for the transportation of passengers or operation
upon the public highways or streets of the Town of Belvidere.
No taxicab shall be licensed until an insurance policy or certificate
in lieu thereof and executed power of attorney shall have been filed
with the Town Clerk as provided for taxicabs and autocabs pursuant
to the provision of N.J.S.A. 48:16-1 to 48:16-22 inclusive, together
with any amendments or supplements heretofore or hereinafter adopted
relative thereto.
There shall be affixed in every taxicab in such manner that
the same can be conveniently read by any person therein, a card at
least three inches in height by five inches in length, containing
the name of the owner, the license number of the vehicle and year
of issue.
The rate of fare to be charged within the Town limits of the
Town of Belvidere and surrounding limits shall be posted so that it
is conspicuously seen by any passenger in any part of the taxicab.
Fares may be demanded in advance.
No person shall drive a taxicab or be hired or permitted to
do so unless he is duly licensed as a taxicab driver as hereinafter
provided.
[Amended 8-3-1987 by Ord. No. 87-11]
An applicant for a taxicab driver's license must be a citizen
over the age of 18 years, a licensed driver of the State of New Jersey,
in good health, of good moral character and familiar with the traffic
laws of the State of New Jersey and the ordinances and geography of
the Town of Belvidere. The Chief of Police and the Councilman in charge
of public safety shall examine each applicant to determine his eligibility
and competency, and no license shall be issued excepting on certificate
of the Chief of Police and the Councilman in charge of public safety
that the applicant is qualified for such license. The applicant must
furnish with his application a recent photograph of himself 1 1/4
inches by 1 3/4 inches in size and shall submit to fingerprinting
by the Police Department of the Town of Belvidere. A hearing shall
be afforded to such unsuccessful applicant before the Town Council
on 10 days' notice to interested parties, provided a request for such
hearing is made by the applicant within seven days of his having been
notified of the denial of his application for such taxicab driver's
license.
The annual fee for a taxicab driver's license shall be $3.
The driver of every taxicab shall at all times when the same
is in public use carry a license bearing the inscription "Town of
Belvidere, License No. __________," which shall be furnished and issued
by the Mayor after approval by the Chief of Police and Councilman
in charge of public safety and upon payment of the required fee. This
license shall not be transferred or used by any person other than
the one to whom issued.
It shall be unlawful for any driver of a taxicab while on duty
to drink any intoxicating liquor or to use any profane or obscene
language, to shout or call to prospective passengers or to disturb
the peace in any way.
It shall be the duty of every driver of a taxicab to obey all
traffic rules established by statute or ordinance. He shall not cruise
on the streets of the Town of Belvidere at any time for the purpose
of soliciting passengers.
It shall be the duty of the driver of any taxicab to accept
as a passenger any person who seeks to use the taxicab, provided such
person is not intoxicated and conducts himself in an orderly manner.
No person shall be admitted to a taxicab occupied by a passenger without
the consent of the passenger.
All licenses to be issued under the provisions of this chapter
shall be issued in the name of the Town and under the hand of the
Mayor, and all licenses issued hereunder shall expire May 15 next
succeeding the date thereof, unless sooner suspended or revoked.
All changes of address of the taxicab operator or taxicab driver
shall be reported in writing to the Town Clerk within 24 hours after
such change takes place.
Any license may be revoked or suspended at any time for cause
upon the recommendation of the Mayor, Councilman in charge of public
safety or the Town Council; provided, however, that no license shall
be revoked or suspended without such licensee's being afforded a hearing
before the Town Council upon 10 days' notice in writing in advance
thereof setting forth the specific charges against the applicant,
to the end that an opportunity shall be given him to show why the
same should not be suspended or revoked.
[Amended 8-3-1987 by Ord. No. 87-11]
Every person or persons, firm or corporation found guilty of
violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to
a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment in the county jail for
not more than 90 days, or both. Each succeeding day of violation shall
be construed to be a new violation.
