It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle for the purpose of transportation for hire within the Town of Babylon without first having secured a permit from the Town Clerk.
A. 
Applications. Applications for a permit or permit renewal required herein shall be filed with the Town Clerk on a form supplied by the Town Clerk. Said application shall be in the form of a sworn affidavit by the applicant stating that all information is true and accurate to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, including the information set forth herein:
(1) 
Personal information.
(a) 
Name, address (local address and legal address, if different), telephone number and social security number, including maiden name where applicable.
(b) 
Place of residence (local address and legal address, if different) for the past five years if different from above.
(c) 
Age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, place and date of birth.
(d) 
Any suspension or revocation of any driver's license of any class held by the applicant, whether by the State of New York or any other state, and, if so, by what court or other authority, on what date and for what cause and, if suspended, the period of suspension.
(e) 
Any convictions for felonies or misdemeanors or violations of any municipal ordinances (except with relation to municipal traffic and/or parking violations) and, if so, in what court, when, where, upon what charges and the sentence of the court, including the docket, index, indictment or file number in such court.
(f) 
A copy of the applicant's valid, applicable and appropriate New York State driver's license(s) clearly indicating the number and expiration date thereof, together with authorization for the Town to conduct an examination of the applicant's driving record.
(g) 
An affidavit from a doctor licensed to practice medicine in the State of New York stating that said doctor has thoroughly examined the applicant within 30 days of the application, that said applicant demonstrates no affliction of any physical or mental disease or infirmity which might make him or her an unsafe or unsatisfactory permit holder and no drug or alcohol dependency or use other than by prescription, together with the results of blood testing. If prescription medication, that the medication will not impair the ability of the driver to operate a limo or taxi.
(h) 
For identification purposes, whether the applicant is a citizen of the United States; if citizenship was obtained by naturalization, the date and place where obtained; if an alien, proof of legal entry into the United States must be submitted.
(i) 
Proof that the applicant can read and write the English language.
(2) 
Business information.
(a) 
The place of business and/or employment for the past five years, including the names and addresses thereof.
(b) 
Any previous licenses held in any occupation and, if so, when, where and for what period and whether said licenses were ever revoked or suspended, the date of the revocation or suspension and the reason therefor.
(3) 
Miscellaneous information. Any additional information the Town Clerk shall deem necessary for the purpose of administering the provisions of this chapter or to assist in determining the applicant's fitness to engage in the business of transportation for hire.
B. 
Identification. Applicants shall also file the items set forth herein with said application:
(1) 
Fingerprints.
(a) 
Upon receipt of a sworn application for a permit, a copy thereof and a fingerprint card shall be referred to the Town Public Safety Office for appropriate fingerprinting of said applicant, and such completed fingerprint card shall thereafter be forwarded by the Town Clerk to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services for a full search.
(b) 
The application shall be accompanied by an appropriate fee, the amount and payment instrument to be determined by the Town Clerk, pursuant to the requirements of and payable to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, which amount shall be in addition to the processing fees stated herein, for such investigation of the applicant as is deemed necessary or advisable for the protection of the public good and welfare.
(c) 
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services shall return such criminal history record information as may exist in its files or a statement that no such relevant information exists, such record to be filed with the Town Clerk.
(d) 
Upon its return by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to the Town Clerk, if the application is approved by the Town Clerk and upon payment of the prescribed permit fee, the Town Clerk shall prepare and deliver to the applicant therefor the permit required by this chapter.
(e) 
New fingerprints for each renewal period may be waived by the Town Clerk unless the permit issued under the provisions of this chapter has lapsed for a period of time in excess of one year.
(2) 
Photographs.
(a) 
Two identical photographs of the applicant shall be submitted, taken no longer than 60 days prior to submission of the application.
(b) 
Said photographs shall be two inches by two inches in size, showing both the head and shoulders of the applicant.
C. 
Examination. At the discretion of the Town Clerk, before issuance of a permit required by this chapter, the Town Clerk may require the applicant and any others having knowledge of the facts to submit to an examination, under oath, and to produce evidence relating thereto.
D. 
Modification. Any change in circumstance with regard to the information required hereinabove shall be reported within 30 days of occurrence.
Vehicle operators are responsible for ensuring that they take such training courses as may be prescribed from time to time by the State of New York, County of Suffolk and/or Town of Babylon specifically designed to educate and familiarize them with customary safety standards. Evidence of satisfactory completion of such courses shall be filed with the Town Clerk with the permit application. Current permit holders shall file with the Town Clerk proof that they are regularly attending and/or have satisfactorily completed such courses.
The regulations set forth herein are mandatory and are the responsibility of the operator while in possession of a vehicle and of the owners as to themselves and their vehicles, operators and/or employees during all times and operations of the business.
A. 
Compliance, generally. Operators must be in compliance with all requirements of this chapter, all ordinances, local laws and codes, laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to those concerning vehicles, traffic and parking, of the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York.
B. 
Compliance, owners. Operators must specifically be in compliance with all owner regulations set forth in this chapter as they may apply to operators.
C. 
Compliance, vehicles. Operators must specifically be in compliance with all vehicle regulations set forth in this chapter as they may apply to operators.
D. 
Address changes. Operators must report to the Town Clerk, within seven days, any change of their residence.
E. 
Fares. Operators may charge fares to all passengers and may not charge more than the rates fixed on the schedule of fares on file in the office of the Town Clerk nor any fare whatsoever if said schedule is not posted conspicuously within the interior of a vehicle so it may be viewed by all passengers.
F. 
Identification devices. Operators must display their permit as required in this chapter; must refuse to operate vehicles that do not have a certificate of operation and schedule of fares conspicuously posted and securely fastened on the interior of the vehicle; and must report to the Town Clerk, within 24 hours, the loss, theft, mutilation, marring or alteration of any such documents.
G. 
Lost property. Operators must make a thorough search of the interior of a vehicle after the discharge of each passenger and immediately turn over any lost or misplaced article(s) to the appropriate local police authorities.
H. 
Multiple passengers. Operators must, after having accepted a person for transportation, refuse to accept any other passengers without the consent of the person first accepted for transportation.
I. 
No smoking requests. Operators must, at the request of any passenger, enforce no smoking in their vehicles by all occupants, including the operator, during the presence of the passenger making said request.
J. 
Operator conduct. Operators must conduct themselves in an orderly manner while operating a vehicle for hire.
K. 
Passenger conduct. Operators must transport any person(s) conducting him or herself in an orderly manner, upon request to do so unless then under hire by another person or unless prohibited from so doing by any other provisions of this chapter.
L. 
Written logs. Operators must maintain and constantly update all written logs prescribed in this chapter.
The activities set forth herein are unlawful, are therefore prohibited and are the responsibility of the operator while in possession of a vehicle and of the owner as to themselves and their vehicles, operators and/or employees during all times and operations of the business:
A. 
Noncompliance, generally. Operators may not be in violation of any requirements of this chapter as they apply to operators.
B. 
Noncompliance, owners. Operators may not specifically be in violation of any prohibited business owner activities as they may apply to operators.
C. 
Noncompliance, vehicles. Operators may not specifically be in violation of any prohibited vehicle activities as they may apply to operators.
D. 
Attention-seeking devices. Operators or any person on their behalf may not use loudspeakers, noisemaking devices and/or any other attention-seeking devices upon any street, road, highway, alley, park or other public place within the Town for the purpose of attracting attention to solicitation of passengers or for any other purpose.
E. 
Cruising. Operators may not cruise public streets, roads and/or highways of the Town in search of passengers.
F. 
Delays. Operators may not delay more than five minutes after first receiving a passenger and before proceeding to convey the passenger to his or her destination unless the passenger so requests.
G. 
Improper vehicle conditions. Operators must refuse to operate vehicles that are not clean, sanitary, fit, of good appearance and in a safe condition for the transportation of passengers, including all repairs, alterations and/or additions that may be required.
H. 
Invalid documents. Operators may not operate any vehicle while their Town permits, chauffeurs' licenses or other appropriate New York State issued licenses are not in effect, have expired or have been suspended or revoked and must refuse to operate any vehicle for which the certificate of operation or business owner's license is not in effect, has expired or has been suspended or revoked.
I. 
Overloading. Operators may not use a vehicle for transporting a greater number of passengers than the rated capacity of the vehicle.
J. 
Peddling. Operators may not peddle or allow the peddling of any goods or property from or near a vehicle.
K. 
Unattended vehicles. Operators may not leave a vehicle unattended in any public place except their depot or garage or when necessary for the operator to be absent therefrom but in no event for more than 30 consecutive minutes.
L. 
Unauthorized operators. Operators may not allow any other person to use their permits.