[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Norwich 9-24-1946 (Ch. 91 of the 1967 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
It shall be unlawful for any person, association
of persons, or corporation, either as principal, agent or employee,
without first procuring a license as provided herein, to use or operate
upon any street, avenue, alley or other public place of the City of
Norwich any motor vehicle whatever for the carriage of passengers
for hire.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following
terms shall have the following meanings:
A person operating a motor vehicle.
A motor vehicle operated temporarily in substitution of any
motor vehicle licensed pursuant to this chapter, or occasionally in
augmentation of the service of motor vehicles licensed under this
chapter.
Any motor-propelled vehicle operated over the streets and
public places of the City for the purpose of carrying passengers for
hire, which receives and discharges persons along the route traversed
by said vehicles, chartered buses or motor-propelled vehicles used
exclusively for sight-seeing purposes, or motor-propelled vehicles
used exclusively as hotel buses, or any motor-propelled vehicle which
is rented from a fixed stand in the street or from a private or public
garage, the destination of which is under the direction of the passenger
or passengers transported therein, but shall include machines or cars
known as "jitneys" or "jitney buses," "buses" or "omnibuses."
A.
Before receiving a license for carrying on the business specified in § 533-1 hereof, any person, association of persons, or corporations desiring such license shall file with the City Clerk a verified application setting forth the routes upon which the buses are to be operated, the authority pursuant to which they are to be operated, the capacity of each motor vehicle to be regularly operated within the corporate limits of the City of Norwich, and such other information as the City Clerk may require.
B.
Any person, association of persons, or corporation
desiring a license to operate an emergency bus shall file a verified
application with the said City Clerk, setting forth the routes upon
which the buses are to be operated, the authority pursuant to which
they are to be operated, the capacity of each motor vehicle to be
so licensed, and such other information as the City Clerk may require.
If the applicant so desires, it may, in lieu of the foregoing application,
file with the said City Clerk an application requesting licenses for
such number of emergency buses as may be sufficient to operate under
its regular schedule, setting forth such information as the said City
Clerk may require.
Upon the approval of such application by the
City Clerk, the City Clerk shall issue a license.
The annual license fee payable hereunder shall
be as set by the Common Council for each emergency bus to be operated
and for each motor vehicle regularly operated wholly within the City.
A.
Licenses granted hereunder shall not constitute or
be deemed to constitute, or grant, any franchise or vested right of
any name or nature other than a license to conduct the business herein
described, and shall be in addition to all other licenses and permits
now required.
B.
In the event that any bus for which a license fee
has been paid shall be sold, transferred, permanently disabled or
withdrawn from service during the year for which the license fee has
been paid, the City Clerk shall, upon proof of the facts by affidavit
filed with him, cause said license to be transferred to such other
bus of the same class as the licensee may designate, upon payment
of the fee, as set by the Common Council, for each transfer so made.[1]
C.
Every person engaged in the business of operation
of motor buses shall procure at the time of the issuance of the license,
and exhibit in a conspicuous place on each vehicle so licensed, a
metal sign issued annually by the City Clerk bearing the license number,
name of business and date of expiration of the license.
D.
No license shall, however, be issued to an intrastate
or local carrier unless the applicant has received the permission
of the Public Service Commission and/or Council to operate over the
route or routes set forth in its application.
Licenses shall expire on the last day of December
of each year.
Such license shall be granted upon the following
conditions:
A.
That service over routes wholly within the limits
of the City of Norwich shall be maintained for a period of not less
than 18 out of every 24 hours, unless prevented by acts of God or
causes beyond the licensee's control.
B.
That said licensee shall and will at all times obey
the laws of the State of New York and all ordinances and traffic regulations
of the City of Norwich in regard to traffic in and over the streets
and public places of said City, and all laws, ordinances and regulations
relating to the operation of motor vehicles and the carrying of passengers
for hire.
C.
That said licensee shall and will operate its vehicle
in accordance with the terms and conditions imposed by the authority
by which its permit to operate was given.
D.
That said licensee shall not or will not drive or
operate any motor vehicle when there is attached thereto a trailer
or other passenger-carrying vehicle.
E.
That no motor vehicle shall be operated or driven
during the period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before
sunrise unless the interior of the body shall be effectively illuminated.
F.
That the licensee shall not permit any person other
than his or its employee to stand upon the running board or step thereof
or sit upon the fender or dash or doors of said vehicle.
G.
That the licensee shall carry on the front of said
machine a sign plainly lettered and legible by night and day, giving
the route to be traversed.
H.
That the licensee shall promptly report to the City
Clerk any change in the facts set forth in the application for operation,
together with a statement as to what authority authorized such change.
The provisions of this chapter are to compensate
the City of Norwich for wear and tear of pavements, improvements and
bridges and safeguarding passengers and persons using the streets.
All licensees shall file in January of each year with the City Clerk a verified statement setting forth the information required in § 533-3 above.
