(A) Solicitation.
(1) No driver of a taxicab shall solicit passengers, except when sitting in the driver’s compartment of the taxicab or while standing immediately adjacent to the curbside thereof. The driver shall remain in the driver’s compartment or immediately adjacent to his or her vehicle at all times when such vehicle is upon the public street; except that, a driver may be absent from his or her taxicab for not more than 15 consecutive minutes, when necessary, and may assist passengers into or out of the vehicle.
(2) No driver shall solicit patronage in a loud or annoying tone of voice, or by a sign, or annoy any person or obstruct the movement of any persons, or follow any person for the purpose of soliciting patronage.
(3) No driver shall cruise in search of passengers, except in such areas and at such times as shall be designated by the City Council. Such areas and times shall only be designated when the Council finds that taxicab cruising would not congest traffic or be dangerous to pedestrians and other vehicles.
(4) No driver shall solicit passengers at the terminal of any other common carrier, nor at any intermediate points along any established route of any other common carrier.
(1960 Code, § 7-13-17)
(B) Additional passengers. No driver shall permit any person other than the first person to engage the taxicab to ride in the taxicab unless the person first employing the taxicab consents to the acceptance of the additional passenger or passengers.
(1960 Code, § 7-13-18)
(C) Number of passengers. No driver shall permit more persons to be carried in a taxicab as passengers than the rated seating capacity of the taxicab as stated in the license for the vehicle issued by the Police Department. A child in arms shall not be counted as a passenger.
(1960 Code, § 7-13-19)
(D) Refusal to carry passengers. A driver shall convey any orderly person or persons, upon request, unless previously engaged, or unable or forbidden by the provisions of this subchapter to do so.
(1960 Code, § 7-13-20)
(E) Soliciting for others. A driver of a taxicab shall not solicit business for any hotel, or attempt to divert patronage from one hotel to another. A driver shall not sell intoxicating liquor or solicit business for any house of ill repute or use his or her vehicle for any purpose other than the transporting of passengers.
(1960 Code, § 7-13-21) (Ord. 5385, passed 3-8-1995) Penalty, see § 116.99