(a) No person shall:
(1) Operate any taxicab while under the influence of alcoholic liquor or controlled substance;
(2) Procure or transport or aid or abet in the procuring or transporting of any intoxicating liquor, unless the intoxicating liquor is the property of and in the custody of a passenger;
(3) Allow any taxicab to be used for immoral purposes or procure or aid in procuring any woman for immoral purposes;
(4) Charge other than in accordance with the rates herein fixed;
(5) Fail, neglect or refuse to turn in to the Police Department of the City, within twenty-four hours, all lost articles found in the taxicab;
(1975 Code Sec. 7.158) (Ord. 02-04. Passed 1-20-04.)
(6) Drive or operate any taxicab upon any street unless the owner files with the City Clerk an insurance policy issued by an insurance company licensed to do business in the State and approved by the City Commission, providing insurance coverage for each and every taxicab owned, operated or leased by the applicant with a maximum liability as set forth in the schedule provided for in Section 802.24;
(Adopting Ordinance)
(7) Use any portion of the public streets or alleys as a taxicab stand or permit a taxicab in his or her charge to stand upon any portion of the public streets or alleys, except for such time as is necessary to load or unload passengers, except in such portions of the public streets or alleys as have been set apart as taxicab stands. However, all licensed taxicab operators shall have a right to stand cars in such portions of the public streets or alleys as have been set apart as taxicab stands, except in such taxicab stands as may be in front of the headquarters of another company or person operating the taxicabs, in which only taxicab operators using the premises adjacent to the stand in question as their headquarters may park. Also, no person shall have more than one taxicab owned, operated and/or leased by him at any one time in any taxicab stand, unless such taxicab stand is in front of such person's headquarters. The Chief of Police may, by regulation, modify this paragraph and assign one or more spaces or stands to various companies as the facilities and volume of business of such companies may require.
(8) Fail to notify the Police Department of the City within fifteen hours after any accident, giving the time and the location of the accident, the name of the person injured, the character of injuries, so far as is known, and, in case of property damage, the estimated amount of such damage; or
(9) If he or she is a taxicab driver on duty, solicit passengers for his or her taxicab except while remaining within his or her taxicab.
(b) The operator and owner of every taxicab licensed pursuant to this chapter shall be responsible for maintaining such taxicab at all times in a neat, clean and presentable condition, both inside and outside, and all taxicabs shall at all times be maintained in a safe and proper operating condition. No taxicab shall be operated that is in need of repairs, is unsightly or is in a dilapidated condition. This chapter shall be enforced by the Police Department and the Department is hereby authorized to inspect all taxicabs from time to time, at reasonable times and places. The Department shall notify in writing the owner of any taxicab that fails to comply with any provision of this chapter of the specific reasons why such taxicab fails to comply. Failure of the owner or operator to rectify the condition of such vehicle within five days from the date of such notice and continuance of the use of such vehicle for taxicab purposes are hereby deemed to be a violation of this chapter. If the Department determines that the condition of a taxicab is an immediate threat to the health, safety and welfare of patrons, the public or other vehicles on the streets by reason of disrepair and that such taxicab is in an unsafe operating condition, the Department may order the owner and operator of such taxicab to cease forthwith the use of such taxicab until its condition is in conformity with this chapter. Failure of the owner and operator to comply with such order is hereby determined to be a violation of this chapter. Persistent and habitual violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be grounds for revocation of the taxicab license with respect to such vehicle as well as grounds for revocation of the operator's permit for operating a taxicab in the City.
(1975 Code Sec. 7.158)
(c) Whoever violates subsection (a) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 202.99.
(Ord. 16-95. Passed 6-20-95.)