A. Application for a public passenger vehicle business certificate shall be made by the owner of the vehicle upon forms furnished by the village. Such application shall identify the vehicle owner and contain a complete description of the vehicle including make, model, year, color, state registration number, vehicle identification number, public passenger vehicle company name and company assigned vehicle number. Also required are copies of the vehicle registration card and documentation confirming that there has been compliance with the insurance requirements.
B. No public passenger vehicle business certificate shall be issued for any vehicle that is not owned or affiliated with a public passenger vehicle company which has been authorized by the village.
C. No public passenger vehicle shall be authorized until it has been thoroughly and carefully examined by a state of Illinois authorized inspection station, or in the absence of an authorized inspection station, an automotive service excellence (ASE) certified technician, and found to be in safe condition for passengers, of good appearance and well painted. Each applicant shall provide written documentation that the public passenger vehicle to be operated as such has been inspected and found to be in a safe condition, as required in this section.
D. The public passenger vehicle must also be presented to the code enforcement officer for an additional physical inspection at the time of application for the public passenger vehicle business certificate. This inspection will include, but shall not be limited to the following: vehicle make, model, year and vehicle identification number, state license plate number and expiration date, odometer reading, mirrors, body damage, bumpers, headlights, taillights, registration lights, instrument panel lights, brake lights, hazard/warning lights, turn signals, doors and latches, trunk and hood, spare tire, identification markings, horn, defroster, wipers/washer, windows, front/rear floors, seats/seatbelts, gauges, rates displayed, emergency brake, tires, steering, exhaust, current emissions testing, current bond sticker and a smoke-free Illinois no smoking sign.
E. Any public passenger vehicle that fails the inspection process must be presented for reinspection to determine if all issues causing the failure have been corrected.
F. Public passenger vehicles shall be subject to reinspection at any time. All public passenger vehicles must be safety inspected semiannually by a state of Illinois authorized inspection station or an ASE certified technician in the absence of a state authorized inspection station. Written documentation that the vehicle has passed the safety inspection for the current registration year must be presented upon request by the village.
G. Any time a public passenger vehicle is involved in an accident that causes damage which may affect the safety of prospective passengers, it must be taken out of service immediately and repaired by an ASE certified technician and/or professional auto body repair shop.
H. The village shall have the authority to immediately remove from service any public passenger vehicle that has been designated unfit for service or unsafe.
I. The village may require a public passenger vehicle to be reinspected as a result of a complaint by any person, or if the village has reason to believe that the condition of the public passenger vehicle may pose a threat to the safety of its passengers or has reason to believe that the taxicab is not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
J. A public passenger vehicle which fails to pass a safety inspection, or fails to undergo a safety inspection when directed to do so, or otherwise is in violation of any provision of this chapter shall be immediately removed from service.
K. When a public passenger vehicle is permanently removed from service by the owner, the public passenger vehicle business certificate issued to that vehicle must be immediately surrendered to the village administrator or his designee.
L. A public passenger vehicle business certificate is not transferable to any other vehicle. (Ord. 2010-O-67)