A. Motorized Commercial Transportation Vehicles: No motor vehicle shall be issued a license as a commercial transportation vehicle until that vehicle has been inspected in accordance with the following requirements, and found to be in acceptable condition. The inspection of a commercial transportation vehicle shall be made at a time and place to be designated by the City Clerk. It shall be unlawful to substitute equipment or parts subsequent to inspection unless such substituted equipment or parts are in equal or better condition than the equipment or parts being substituted or replaced.
1. Mechanical:
a. Tires: Tires must not have cuts, breaks or show excessive uneven wear. Tire wear bars must not be showing. Tire tread depth shall not be less than two thirty-seconds (2/32) of an inch of an original tire. The vehicle must have a spare tire, fully inflated and in the same condition as required above. Tires must all be of the same type (either radial or bias).
b. Body Condition: The body must be in good condition, free of holes and torn metal. Both a front and a rear bumper must be firmly attached. No extensive unrepaired body damage will be allowed. The vehicle shall be completely and properly painted.
c. Lights: Headlights shall be intact and operable on both high and low beam. Tail lights, parking lights, brake lights and signal lights shall be intact and operable. An interior light capable of illuminating the interior shall be operable.
d. Wipers: Both windshield wipers shall be in good condition and operable.
e. Brakes: Both the parking brake and all four (4) wheel brakes must be in good condition and operable. Brake shoes or pads must have a safe amount of wear left. Brake pedal travel shall be no more than two and one- half inches (21/2").
f. Steering: There shall not be more than three inches (3") of free play when turning the steering wheel from one side to the other.
g. Exhaust System: Mufflers shall not have any holes, and shall be firmly attached to the exhaust and tail pipes. Exhaust pipes shall be firmly attached to the engine and free of leaks. Tail pipes shall extend beyond the passenger compartment, fully to the rear of the vehicle. All emission control devices shall be attached and in proper working order.
h. Windows: The windshield shall be free of cracks or chips that interfere with the driver's vision. Door windows shall be free of cracks and operable as they were intended by the manufacturer.
i. Door Handles: All door handles and latches shall be operable from both the inside and outside of the vehicle.
j. Seat Belts: The vehicle shall be equipped with sufficient seat belts to provide safety to each passenger, and be in accordance with State law.
k. Suspension: The suspension system shall be maintained so that there are no broken or weak springs, or weak or defective shock absorbers.
2. Appearance:
a. Engine Compartment: The engine compartment shall be kept reasonably clean and free of uncontained combustible material.
b. Exterior: The exterior shall be kept clean and well maintained.
c. Interior: The interior shall be kept clean and free of litter. The seats and upholstery shall be kept clean and free of holes and tears.
B. Non-Motorized Commercial Transportation Vehicles: No non-motorized vehicle shall be issued a license as a commercial transportation vehicle until that vehicle has been inspected in accordance with the following requirements, and found to be in acceptable condition. The inspection of a non-motorized commercial transportation vehicle shall be made at a time and place to be designated by the City Clerk. It shall be unlawful to substitute equipment or parts subsequent to inspection unless such substituted equipment or parts are in equal or better condition than the equipment or parts being substituted or replaced.
1. Mechanical:
a. Tires And Wheels: Tires must not have cuts, breaks or show excessive uneven wear. Tires must have adequate tread. Wheels must be true.
b. Body/Frame Condition: The body/frame must be in good condition, free of cracks, large dents, holes or torn metal. No extensive unrepaired body damage will be allowed.
c. Lights: If operating at nighttime, non-motorized commercial transportation vehicles shall be equipped with an operable headlamp, a flashing or steady rear lamp, and reflectors on all wheels and on the front stem.
d. Brakes: Brakes must be in good condition and operable. Brake pads or disc brakes must have a safe amount of wear left and shall not be warped.
e. Steering: The steering apparatus shall be free of excessive or unsafe free play.
2. Appearance:
a. Exterior: The exterior shall be kept clean and well maintained.
b. Interior: The interior shall be kept clean and free of litter. The seats and upholstery shall be kept clean and free of holes and tears.
C. Inspection And Inspection Fees:
1. All motorized commercial transportation vehicles must be in compliance with any required motor vehicle emission regulations, and must have a valid certificate of compliance, in addition to the inspection requirements listed above.
2. The inspection required by this section shall be performed prior to the issuance of a commercial transportation service business license, and each calendar quarter thereafter for motorized commercial transportation vehicles, and each calendar year thereafter for non-motorized commercial transportation vehicles. Calendar quarters are the periods of January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December. The required quarterly inspection shall be completed prior to the beginning of the next following quarter. The requirements of this section shall be maintained throughout the inspection quarter and year. (1952 Code § 5-03-09)
3. For motorized commercial transportation vehicles, there shall be a fee for the initial vehicle inspection, for each quarterly inspection thereafter, and pursuant to a license transfer. The fee shall be collected in advance of the inspection. If the inspection results in the need for a reinspection of the vehicle, a reinspection fee shall be charged, except where such reinspection requires elevation of the vehicle, in which case, the reinspection fee shall be an additional amount. The fees required in this subsection shall be in such amounts as established by the City Council and listed on the most current City Clerk license fee schedule.
4. For non-motorized commercial transportation vehicles, the fee for the initial vehicle inspection, for each yearly inspection thereafter, and pursuant to a license transfer, shall be in such amount as established by the City Council and listed on the most current City Clerk license fee schedule. The fee shall be collected in advance of the inspection. There shall be no additional charge for a reinspection if one is needed. (1952 Code § 5-03-09)
D. Nonconformance: In addition to all other prescribed penalties for violations of this article, any vehicle that does not conform to the minimum inspection standards and requirements set forth in this article, may be subject to immediate suspension or revocation of the commercial transportation service vehicle license of such vehicle.
E. Temporary Permit: If the inspection reveals deficiencies that are not imminently hazardous, the inspector may issue a temporary permit, not to exceed fifteen (15) days, to allow the deficiency to be corrected. No more than one temporary permit each calendar quarter may be issued to any one vehicle. (1952 Code § 5-03-09; amd. 2019 Code; Ord. 53-20, 1-12-2021)