As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated in N.J.S.A. 48:16-1, as amended and supplemented:
"autocab," "person" and "street."
No person, firm or corporation shall engage in the taxicab business,
nor shall be/she/it operate or permit a taxicab owned or controlled
by him/her/it to be operated as a vehicle for hire upon the streets
of this municipality, without first having obtained a taxicab license
from the municipality.
No license shall be issued or renewed unless the holder thereof
has paid an annual license fee of $25 for the right to engage in the
taxicab business. Said license shall be for the year ending on the
30th day of June and shall be in addition to any other fee or charges
established by proper authorities and applicable to said holder for
the vehicle or vehicles under his or her operation and control.
Application for a license shall be filed with the Township Clerk
upon forms provided by the municipality, and said application shall
be verified under oath and shall furnish the following:
A.
The name and address of the applicant; where the applicant is not
a natural person, the name and address of all owners or participants
in the ownership of the legal entity and all officers, directors or
others of like position, whatever be their title.
B.
The year, type and model of the vehicle for which the license is
desired.
C.
The number of persons the vehicle is capable of carrying.
D.
The operator's license number.
E.
The taxicab license number.
Each applicant (or principals thereof) for such license shall
present him- or herself at the office of the Police Department and
permit his or her fingerprints to be taken by the said Police Department
and have said fingerprints, or a copy thereof, submitted to the Township
with the application for said license. The Chief of Police or, in
his or her absence, the person in charge of said Police Department,
is hereby charged with the duty and responsibility of forwarding a
copy of the fingerprints of each applicant to the New Jersey State
Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the request that
the criminal records of the subject be furnished to the local Police
Department. After such information is received from either the New
Jersey State Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chief
of Police or, in his or her absence, the person in charge of said
Police Department, shall furnish the Township Council, in a timely
fashion, with any information obtained from any source concerning
said applicant or applicants. No license shall be granted to any applicant
until the Township Council is satisfied that the applicant (or any
principal) does not have any criminal record or reputation which would
render the applicant unfit to have such license.
In order to ensure the safety of the public, it shall be unlawful
for the holder to operate or cause or permit a taxicab to be operated,
nor shall any license be issued hereunder, until and unless the applicant
shall have complied with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 48:16-1 to 48:16-12,
and the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto; provided,
however, that an insurance policy of a company duly licensed to transact
business under the insurance laws of the state has been filed, conditioned
for the payment of a sum of not less than $100,000 to satisfy all
claims for damages by reason of bodily injury to, or the death of,
any one person, resulting from an accident and for a sum of not less
than $300,000 to satisfy all claims for damages by reason of bodily
injuries to, or the death of, all persons, on account of any accident,
by reason of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of such
taxicab upon any public street; and for a sum of $5,000 to satisfy
any claim for damages to property.
If the Township Council finds that the applicant is fit, willing
and able to perform such public transportation in accordance with
the provisions of this article and the rules promulgated by the Township
Council, then the Township Clerk shall issue a license stating the
name and address of the applicant, the date of issuance and the year,
type and model of the vehicles; otherwise, the application shall be
denied.
No taxicab license shall be assigned, mortgaged, pledged or
otherwise transferred to secure a debt, loan, advance or other financing
transaction.
The following regulations shall hereafter apply to all taxicabs
licensed hereafter in this municipality:
A.
The owner of each taxicab shall forthwith file with the Township
Clerk and the Chief of Police a typewritten or printed, signed schedule
showing the dates, hours, locations and telephone numbers in this
Township at which the said taxicab will be on a recognized taxicab
stand, with qualified operator, ready to serve the public, subject
to times when actually on call, i.e., making a service.
B.
Hereafter, each time a taxicab license is applied for, the applicant
shall file with his or her application, and as part thereof, a new
schedule as aforesaid. When a new license is granted or a license
is renewed, the licensee shall forthwith furnish the Chief of Police
with a copy of the current schedule of said taxicab.
C.
Each licensed taxicab shall at all times, as set forth in its schedule,
be at its designated stand, with qualified operator, ready to serve
the public, subject to times actually in call, i.e., making a service.
D.
If during the licensed period any owner of such a licensed taxicab
shall find that it is impossible or impractical to comply with the
schedule such owner has filed, such owner shall immediately file a
written notice with the Township Clerk and the Chief of Police, stating
when the taxicab went out of public service and the reason therefor,
such as damaged by accident, necessary repairs, inability to get competent
driver, illness of driver or whatsoever may be the reason for nonoperation
of the taxicab. When a taxicab is returned to public service, written
notice thereof shall be immediately filed by the owner with said Township
Clerk and Chief of Police. The Township Council shall review the number
and extent of the periods when each taxicab has been out of public
service during the previous licensing period when giving consideration
on the question of renewal or transfer.
A.
No person shall operate a taxicab for hire upon the streets of the
municipality, and no person, firm or corporation who owns or controls
a taxicab shall permit it to be driven, and no taxicab licensed by
the municipality shall be so driven at any time for hire, unless the
driver of said taxicab shall have first obtained and shall have then
in force a taxicab driver's permit under the provisions of this
article.
B.
Every person applying for a permit to drive a taxicab must furnish
satisfactory evidence that he or she holds a current driver's
license under the New Jersey State Motor Vehicle Law and shall continue
to hold same as long as he or she operates said taxicab.
Each applicant for a permit must conform to the following regulations:
A.
Be of the age of 21 years or over.
B.
Present the certificate of a reputable physician showing that he
or she has been examined within 60 days and that he or she is of sound
physique, with good eyesight and not subject to epilepsy, vertigo,
heart trouble or any other infirmity of body or mind which might render
him or her unfit for the safe operation of a taxicab.
C.
Be able to read, write and understand the English language and be
a citizen of the United States.
D.
Not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, sex
offenses, violence, force, and/or threat of bodily injury.
E.
Not be addicted to the use of narcotics or intoxicating liquors.
F.
Not have received a dishonorable discharge from any branch of the
Armed Services of the United States or National Guard and not be a
member of a party advocating the overthrow of constitutional government.
G.
Be fingerprinted by the Police Department of this Township within
20 days prior to making application for a permit.
H.
Have a good reputation for honesty and morality in the community
in which he or she resides.
The applicant for said permit shall fill out, upon a form provided
by the Township, his or her full name, residence, places of residence
for the preceding five years, age, height, color of eyes and hair,
place of birth, last previous employment, whether married or single,
whether he or she has ever been convicted of a crime (and, if so,
nature, date and penalty), which statement shall be signed and filed
with the Township Clerk as a permanent record. The applicant shall
also furnish four copies of a photograph taken within the preceding
30 days, size two inches by two inches, front view.
Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the requirements hereof, there
shall be issued by the Township Clerk, at the direction of the Township
Council, to the applicant, a driver's permit card which shall
contain the photograph and permit number of the permittee.
The permit and photograph shall be displayed in plain view in
the interior of the taxicab at all times the taxicab is being operated
by said permittee.
Each permit shall expire June 30 next succeeding. A fee shall
be paid for each permit, if granted, or for each application and refusal
of a permit. The said fees are fixed and imposed for regulations.
All holders of licenses engaged in the taxicab business in the
Township of Jackson, operating under the provisions of this article,
shall render an overall service to the public desiring to use taxicabs.
They shall answer all calls received by them for services inside the
corporate limits of the municipality as soon as they can do so, and
if said services cannot be rendered within a reasonable time, they
shall then notify the prospective passenger how long it will be before
the said call can be answered and give the reason therefor. Any holder
who shall refuse to accept a call anywhere in the municipality any
time when such holder has available cab or cabs, or who shall fail
or refuse to give overall service, shall be deemed a violator of this
article.
Every holder shall require the driver to keep a daily record,
identified by the cab number of the cab used that day and the permit
number of the driver, of the time and place when and where the passenger
was accepted, as well as the time and place of the discharge of the
passenger, together with the fare received for the trip, which record
the holder shall keep intact for 90 days from the date thereof, and
shall be kept open at all times for inspection by a duly authorized
representative of the Police Department.
No driver shall solicit passengers for a taxicab except when
sitting in the driver's compartment of such taxicab or while
standing immediately adjacent to the curbside thereof.
No driver shall solicit patronage in a loud tone of voice or
in any manner annoy any person or obstruct the movement of any person
or follow any person for the purpose of soliciting patronage.
Drivers of taxicabs shall not receive or discharge passengers
in the roadway but shall pull up to the right-hand sidewalk as nearly
as possible or, in the absence of a sidewalk, to the extreme right-hand
side of the road and there receive or discharge passengers, except
upon one-way streets where passengers may be discharged at either
the right- or left-hand sidewalk or side of the roadway in the absence
of a sidewalk.
No driver shall cruise in search of passengers except in such
areas and at such times as may be designated by the Chief of Police.
Such areas and times shall only be designated when the Chief of Police
finds that taxicab cruising would not congest traffic or be dangerous
to pedestrians and other vehicles.
A.
No driver shall permit any other person to occupy or ride in said
taxicab unless the person or persons first employing a taxicab shall
consent to the acceptance of an additional passenger or passengers.
B.
No charge shall be made for an additional passenger except when the
additional passenger rides beyond the previous passenger's destination,
and then for only the additional distance so traveled.
No driver shall refuse or neglect to carry any person or persons
upon their request, unless previously engaged or unable or forbidden
by the provisions of this article to do so.
It shall be a violation of this article for any driver of a
taxicab to solicit business for any hotels, motels, rooming houses,
bars, taverns, restaurants, theaters and the like, or to attempt to
divert patronage from one such place to another.
No taxicab, while waiting for employment by passengers, shall
stand on any public street or space other than at or upon a taxicab
stand designated or established in accordance with this article, nor
shall any driver of such taxicab seek employment by repeatedly and
persistently driving his or her taxicab to and fro in a short space
before, or by otherwise interfering with the proper and orderly access
to or egress from, any theater, hall, hotel, public resort or other
place of gathering.
No driver of any taxicab shall induce any prospective passenger
to employ him or her, knowingly misinforming or misleading any such
passenger either as to time or place of arrival or departure of any
train, motor vehicle or airplane, or as to the location of any hotel,
public place or private residence, or as to the distance between any
two points, nor shall such driver deceive or make false representations
to any prospective passenger by conveying such passenger to any other
place or over any other route than that to which such passenger may
have instructed the driver to go.
Every owner shall be responsible for the operation of the vehicle
for which the license has been granted regardless of the legal relationship
between such owner and the driver of such vehicle.
The driver, while engaged in the operation of a taxicab, shall
conduct him- or herself in a gentlemanly or gentlewomanly manner,
and he or she shall not use any indecent, profane or insulting language
while engaged in such operation.
Every driver of a taxicab, immediately after the termination
of any hiring or employment, must carefully search such taxicab for
any property lost or left therein, and any such property, unless sooner
claimed or delivered to the owner, shall, as soon as possible, be
turned over to the Police Department.
