[R.O. 2013 §630.010; Ord. No. 1303 §1(9-310), 10-21-1996]
A.
No
person shall engage in the business of operating a taxicab or limousine
upon the streets of the City without first obtaining a license to
do so. Such license shall be issued by the City Collector after the
application therefor has been approved and the requisite fee paid,
as hereinafter prescribed, and after all other provisions of this
Chapter pertaining to the obtaining or issuing of the license have
been complied with.
B.
Application
for a license to engage in the business of operating a taxicab or
limousine shall be filed with the City Clerk and referred to the Board
of Aldermen for consideration and determination. The application shall
be in writing, certified by the applicant, or, if the applicant is
a corporation, firm or partnership, by its duly authorized officer
or agent, and shall state the following facts:
1.
The full name and address of the applicant; if a partnership, firm
or corporation, the names and addresses of all the officers and directors
thereof, or partners.
2.
The name and address of the owner of the vehicles proposed to be
operated.
3.
A statement of the previous experience the applicant has had; or,
if the applicant is a partnership, the partners thereof have had;
or, if the applicant is a corporation, the officers and directors
have had in the taxicab or limousine business.
4.
The number of taxicabs or limousines the applicant desires to operate
within the City.
5.
The seating capacity of each vehicle proposed to be used as a taxicab
or limousine.
6.
The type of motorcar to be used, horsepower, name of make, the length
of time such vehicle has been in use, the insurance proposed to be
carried, the amount of same and the name of the company issuing the
policy.
7.
The color scheme of the taxicab or limousine proposed to be used.
C.
The
application shall be accompanied by a certificate of inspection from
the Chief of Police who shall inspect all taxicabs or limousines.
Such certificate, however, shall not be necessary in case the vehicles
proposed to be operated as taxicabs or limousines are new and have
not been in use theretofore.
D.
The
Board of Aldermen shall have power to approve any application and
order a license issued or refuse to do so, as it may deem proper.
In determining whether such application shall be approved and the
license issued, or otherwise, the Board shall take into consideration
whether the demands of the public require such proposed service within
the City, the financial responsibility of the applicant, the number,
kind and type of equipment and the color scheme proposed to be used,
the increased traffic congestion and the demand for increased parking
space upon the streets of the City which may result, and whether the
safe use of the streets by the public, both vehicular and pedestrian,
will be preserved by the granting of such license, and such other
relevant facts as the Board may deem advisable or necessary.
E.
If
the Board of Aldermen shall approve the application and authorize
the issuance of the license applied for, the City Collector shall,
after payment by the applicant of the fee prescribed therefor, issue
such license and deliver the same to the applicant. If the Board shall
refuse to approve the application, the City Collector shall make a
record to that effect thereupon and notify the applicant that his/her
application has been disapproved.
F.
Before
such license shall be issued, the applicant shall pay to the City
Collector twelve dollars ($12.00) as an annual license tax for each
taxicab or limousine to be operated for the conveyance of passengers
upon, along or over the streets of this City. The license shall expire
on January first (1st) after the date of its issuance; provided that
when any license is issued after July first (1st) of any year, the
fee for the remaining portion of the year shall be seven dollars fifty
cents ($7.50). All such licenses may thereafter be renewed annually
upon January first (1st) of each year upon payment of the required
fee. The license so issued shall be posted in the vehicle for which
issued at all times and is not transferable or assignable to any other
vehicle.
These license taxes shall be adjusted on an annual basis, effective
January first (1st) of the year in question, to reflect increases,
if any, in the November offering next preceding this January first
(1st) of the Cost of Living Index for all Statistics of the United
States Department of Labor, as compared to the previous November offering,
using the period 1967=100 as the base period. All such computation
of increases made as provided herein shall be rounded to the nearest
fifty cent ($.50) figure, and shall not be further adjusted during
the course of the year in question until the following January first
(1st) of the next year in question, when such further adjustments,
if warranted as provided herein, shall be made.
G.
The
Mayor and Board of Aldermen shall have authority at any time to revoke
any and all licenses granted under this Chapter, after first having
granted the owner or operator of the taxicab or limousine a hearing
on the question of whether or not the license should be revoked. Upon
revocation of any license, no portion of the license fee shall be
refunded.
[R.O. 2013 §630.020; CC 1984 §9-311; Ord. No. 360 §I, 12-16-1959; Ord. No. 1303 §2, 10-21-1996]
Terms used in this Chapter have the meanings as prescribed herein:
The permission granted by the Board of Aldermen to a person
to drive a taxicab or limousine upon the streets of the City.
A motor vehicle regularly engaged in the business of carrying
passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of more than six (6)
persons and operated on a fixed or open route.
A public place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere
in the City which has been designated by the Board of Aldermen as
reserved exclusively for the use of taxicabs or limousines.
Any motor vehicle performing a bona fide for hire taxicab
service having a capacity of not more than five (5) passengers, exclusive
of the driver, and not operated on a regular route or between fixed
termini.
The time when a taxicab or limousine is not in motion from
the time of acceptance of a passenger or passengers to the time of
discharge, but does not include any time that the taxicab or limousine
is not in motion if due to any cause other than the request, act or
fault of a passenger or passengers.
[R.O. 2013 §630.030; CC 1984 §9-312; Ord. No. 360 §XXVIII, 12-16-1959]
The Police Department shall observe the conduct of holders and
drivers operating under this Chapter. Upon discovering a violation
the Police Department shall report the same to the Board of Aldermen
which will order or take appropriate action.
