[Code 1964, § 27-1]
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this section:
Any road, street, alley, avenue, boulevard, court, lane or
public place in the city.
Any motor vehicle having a capacity of not more than five
(5) passengers, exclusive of the driver, engaged in the business of
carrying persons for hire on the streets of the city, whether the
same is operated from a street stand or from a garage, but not operated
on a regular route or between fixed termini, whether the charge therefor
is made upon the basis of distance traveled, as indicated by a taximeter
or speedometer attached thereto or by any other method of determining
distance, such as by a zoning system or otherwise, or the time consumed
in traveling, as indicated by a time card furnished the passenger
by the operator, or on any other basis whatever.
[Code 1964, § 27-2]
This chapter shall not apply to any motor vehicle used as a
sight-seeing car, which is a motor vehicle having a seating capacity
in excess of six (6) persons and used for the purpose of conveying
passengers on a sight-seeing tour, as the term is generally understood,
and where the basis for charge is time or circuit route traveled by
such cars in regular trips; nor shall this chapter apply to any service
car, which is a motor vehicle having a seating capacity in excess
of six (6) persons offered for or engaged in carrying passengers,
with or without baggage, for hire within the city without regard to
the time consumed or the distance traveled, and the passenger having
no control of the route of passage and carriage.
[Code 1964, § 27-3; Ord. No. 1874 § 1, 2-15-2001]
The chief of police shall maintain constant vigilance over all
taxicabs, and through his deputies and inspectors shall inspect all
such vehicles to ascertain that they are in compliance with all applicable
provisions of chapter 307 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Such
inspection shall be made annually before the issuance of any license
therefor, and shall be made thereafter from time to time, or on the
complaint of any person, as often as may be necessary to ascertain
that such taxicabs are kept in a condition of continued fitness for
public use. The chief of police may prohibit the use of any vehicle
by the owner thereof if such vehicle is found to be unfit or unsuited
for public patronage. He shall also examine the taximeter, speedometer
or other measuring device attached to any taxicab, and see that the
same is at all times accurate. Reports in writing of all inspections
shall promptly be made and kept on file in the police department at
city hall. Whenever any vehicle shall have been found to be unfit
or unsuited for public patronage and its use prohibited by the chief
of police, it shall be unlawful for the owner thereof to further use
such vehicle as a taxicab. For the annual inspection prescribed in
this section, a fee of two dollars ($2.00) shall be paid the city,
which fee shall be collected by the chief of police and shall be paid
by the owner or operator thereof at the time of making such inspections.
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as authorizing
the city through the chief of police to charge or collect more than
one (1) inspection fee per year on the same taxicab.
[Code 1964, § 27-4]
While a taxicab is on a public street or place, passengers shall
be solicited by no other means than by having a painted sign on the
vehicle stating, in addition to the rate of fare, that the same is
for hire. No driver or chauffeur of any such vehicle shall seek employment
by repeatedly and persistently driving his taxicab in and about a
short space, but such driver or chauffeur, in addition to the sign
on his vehicle, may solicit employment by driving through any public
street or place without stops other than those due to obstruction
of traffic thereon or to traffic rules. There shall be no cruising
permitted by taxicabs.
[Code 1964, § 27-5]
No person owning or operating or in charge of any taxicab shall
willfully deceive any passenger who may desire to ride or who may
ride in such vehicle as to its destination or as to the rates or charges
therefor, or cause a passenger to be conveyed to a place other than
that directed by him.
[Code 1964, § 27-6]
It shall be the duty of every person owning, operating or in
charge of taxicabs to permit any person to hire the same; provided,
that the former may refuse to let the taxicab to anyone who is intoxicated
and shall not knowingly or willfully let the same to any person in
furtherance of any unlawful purposes whatsoever.
[Code 1964, § 27-7]
The rate of fare to be asked, demanded or received by the owner,
operator or person in charge of any taxicab, whether the rate of fare
is computed upon a mileage basis or on the basis of time consumed
by the passenger in traveling in such taxicab, shall at all times
when such taxicab is not being actually used in the transportation
of passengers for hire be conspicuously displayed by letters not less
than three (3) inches high on the front doors of such taxicabs, and
the rate and method of charge shall be submitted to the board of aldermen
for approval.
[Code 1964, § 27-8]
(a)
Upon the payment of the license fee required in section 27-34, the city clerk shall assign to each taxicab a number and shall issue to the owner of same a permit to operate such taxicab, as provided by this chapter. Such permit shall bear the number so assigned and shall also state that the vehicle is a taxicab and that it is to be driven or operated by the owner or an employee. In the event of the loss, mutilation or destruction of such permit the owner may obtain from the city clerk a duplicate thereof upon filing an affidavit showing that such permit has been lost, mutilated or destroyed and paying a fee of one dollar ($1.00) therefor. Such permit shall be marked "Duplicate."
(b)
The number so assigned to any taxicab shall be plainly marked on
the vehicle for which it has been issued where it can be readily seen.
[Code 1964, § 27-9]
No permit shall be used which has not been duly issued by the
city clerk for the particular vehicle on which such permit is to be
used, nor shall anyone use or permit to be used any false or counterfeit
permit; provided, however, that when any vehicle for which such permit
has been issued shall be permanently withdrawn from service and replaced
by another vehicle, such permit may be transferred from the abandoned
vehicle to the replacing vehicle upon application therefor to the
city clerk and upon the payment of a fee of one dollar ($1.00).
[Code 1964, § 27-10]
(a)
Every holder of a license to operate a taxicab and the owner of such
taxicab shall in addition to the requirements of this chapter maintain
and carry for each taxicab licensed to be operated a policy of liability
insurance calling for coverage of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00)
for any one (1) person and fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) for
any two (2) persons, or more, who may be injured in any one (1) accident
at any time, and ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for property damages
by reason of the carelessness or negligence of the driver or operator
of such taxicab.
(b)
Such insurance shall be carried in a firm or corporation which has
been duly licensed or permitted to do an insurance business in the
state and shall be kept and maintained continually in force and effect
so long as such owner of such taxicab shall be licensed to operate
the same on the streets of the city. Such insurance policy shall be
submitted to the board of aldermen for approval and shall be deposited
with the city. There shall be attached to all liability insurance
policies issued pursuant to the requirements of this chapter and filed
with the board of aldermen the following endorsement:
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"In consideration of the premium stated in the policy to which
this endorsement is attached, the company hereby waives a description
of the motor vehicles to be insured hereunder and agrees to pay any
final judgment for personal injury, including death, resulting therefrom,
caused by any and all motor vehicles operated by the assured pursuant
to the license issued by the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors, within
the limits set forth in the schedule shown hereon, and further agrees
that upon its failure to pay any such final judgment, the judgment
creditor may maintain an action in any court of competent jurisdiction
to compel such payment. Nothing contained in the policy or any endorsement
thereon, nor the violation of any of the provisions thereof by the
assured, shall relieve the company from liability hereunder or from
the payment of such judgment. The policy to which this endorsement
is attached shall not expire, nor shall cancellation take effect until
after ten (10) days' notice to commence to run from the date
notice is actually received at the office of the Board of Aldermen.
Attached to and forming a part of Policy Number _____."
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[1]
State law reference — Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility
Law insurance limits, RSMo. § 303.190(2).
[Code 1964, § 27-22]
No person who has been licensed to operate taxicabs may discontinue
any of them without first filing with the board of aldermen a statement,
verified by affidavit, of the number of vehicles he desires to discontinue
operating, and the reasons therefor, and obtaining permission from
the board of aldermen to discontinue operation as set forth in such
statement. The withdrawal of any vehicle from operation for the purpose
of conditioning, overhauling or repairing shall not be considered
discontinuing operation under this section. Upon complete abandonment
of taxicab service for a period of ten (10) consecutive days by any
owner or operator of taxicabs, the board of aldermen, upon a hearing,
after three (3) days' notice to the owner or operator at the
address given to the city on his application for license, shall recall
the license theretofore issued to such owner or operator, and upon
notice thereof by the board of aldermen to the city clerk, the licenses
theretofore issued to such owner or operator shall be and stand revoked.
No such license shall thereafter be reinstated or renewed by the city
clerk until the owner or operator shall have obtained a new license
from the board of aldermen with like effect as though such owner or
operator had never theretofore been granted such license. Whenever
any license to operate any taxicab has been revoked, it shall thereafter
be unlawful to display or use such license as authority for the operation
of the taxicab in which the same may be so used or displayed.
[Code 1964, § 27-11; Ord. No. 1874 § 1, 2-15-2001]
The chief of police is authorized to establish such additional
rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter as may be
reasonable and necessary to carry out and enforce this chapter. The
chief of police shall keep or cause to be kept a record of each permit
issued to a driver, of all renewals, suspensions or revocations of
permits, which record shall be kept of each person owning or operating
a vehicle licensed under this chapter, with the license number and
description of such vehicle, and the dates of inspection thereof.
Such records shall be open to inspection by the public, and shall
be public records, extracts of which may be certified for use as evidence
by the chief of police or by one of his deputies.
