Loading...
In addition to the license decal, the Commissioner shall provide a license card for each licensed taxicab vehicle. This license card must be displayed in a conspicuous place inside the taxicab vehicle to be clearly visible to a passenger. At a minimum, this license card shall contain the name of the license holder and the license number of the vehicle. The chauffeur license of the driver of the taxicab must also be displayed next to the license card. The Commissioner may promulgate rules for additional conditions of display and for replacement card fees.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. VII, § 6)
(a) Licensees and taxicab affiliations shall have an affirmative duty to respond to dispatch requests for taxicab service in underserved areas and to insure compliance with this section by the drivers of vehicles. Licensees and taxicab affiliations shall immediately report to the commissioner any driver who fails to comply with the requirements of this section.
(b) All licensees have an affirmative duty to respond to requests for service and are responsible for the actions of any employee, chauffeur, lessee, taxicab affiliation, two-way dispatch service, or other manager that reports to the licensee, for any failure to respond to a request for service.
(c) Each taxicab which is in service and leased by a public chauffeur must at all times have its two-way dispatch system activated to a level which is readily audible to the driver. The driver must respond in a timely manner to two-way dispatch requests for service in any area within the city's boundaries.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)
(a) Every licensee shall comply with all insurance requirements mandated by Federal, State and City laws. Except for licensees that have surrendered their licensees to the City or that have submitted an affidavit ascertaining that they have suspended operations, each applicant for the issuance or renewal of a taxi license shall carry commercial automobile liability insurance and, where applicable, worker's compensation insurance, from an insurance company authorized to insure in the State of Illinois, and qualified under the laws of Illinois to assume the risk in the amounts hereinafter set forth, to secure payment by the licensee, his agents, employees or lessees of any final judgment or settlement of any claim against them resulting from any occurrence caused by or arising out of the operation or use of any of the licensee's vehicles.
Every insurance policy issued shall list the City of Chicago as an additional insured on a primary, noncontributory basis for any liability arising directly or indirectly from the licensee's operations.
(1) Liability insurance: Each commercial automobile liability insurance policy shall provide at least the following minimum coverage for each taxicab: $350,000.00 combined single limit coverage per occurrence.
(2) Worker's compensation:
(i) Any licensee who does not carry adequate worker's compensation insurance shall have his license(s) immediately suspended until proof of such insurance is provided to the Commissioner. The licensee shall provide the Commissioner with a copy of the licensees' insurance verification for worker's compensation upon request of the Commissioner.
(ii) Any public chauffeur, upon filing a claim for temporary total disability with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, shall immediately surrender his public chauffeur license to the Department. Such public chauffeur license shall remain surrendered for any period for which the chauffeur claims or receives benefits. If the Commissioner determines that a public chauffeur's claim for benefits with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission is fraudulent, not credible, or otherwise not filed in good faith, the Commissioner may suspend, revoke or deny renewal of the public chauffeur's license.
(b) If any medallion license holder fails to maintain required insurance, the Commissioner may immediately suspend the medallion license holder's taxicab vehicle license and impose a fine as set forth in Section 9-112-630 of this Code, in addition to all other applicable penalties, including license suspension, and/or license revocation. If a medallion license holder demonstrates a pattern of failing to maintain required insurance, the Commissioner may revoke the license.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-6-12, p. 28356, § 20; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 11951, Art. VI, § 25; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. II, § 24; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 14; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6)
(a) An applicant must apply for a taxicab affiliation license using a print or electronic form prescribed by, and as directed by, the Commissioner, and accompanied by such documents as the Commissioner may require. As part of the application process, all officers, directors, shareholders and members of the applicant shall submit to a fingerprint background check by a fingerprint agency approved by the Department and submit passport-sized photos of such officers, directors, shareholders and members.
(b) No organization shall operate as a City of Chicago taxicab affiliation without first being licensed by the Commissioner. Application for a taxicab affiliation license shall be made on such forms and accompanied by such documents as the Commissioner may require and shall include, but not be limited to, proof that the taxicab affiliation has a place of business in Chicago and the name, Chicago business address and telephone number, residence address and license numbers of each licensee so affiliated. Subsequent to licensing, if there are changes in any material information contained in the submitted license application, such changes must be reported in writing to the Commissioner within 48 hours.
(c) In consideration of a new taxicab affiliation application, applicants will be subject to qualification requirements as provided in Section 9-112-100 of this Code and inspection requirements as provided in Section 9-112-110 of this Code. In addition, the Commissioner may consider factors including, but not limited to, effects on public interests and taxicab industry economics, in evaluating the new taxicab affiliation application.
(d) No taxicab affiliation may have more than 25 percent of the total number of City licensed taxicabs as affiliates.
(e) No taxicab affiliation licensed under this chapter may dispatch a taxicab for the purpose of providing transportation to a customer unless the vehicle is properly licensed to provide the transportation requested. The Commissioner will notify a taxicab affiliation in the event of the suspension or revocation of any of its affiliate's licenses.
(f) Whenever notice is required to be served by the Commissioner on any licensee, the Commissioner may provide service by certified mail, electronic mail, or facsimile upon the registered address of the licensee's taxicab affiliation listed in the Department's records.
(g) All affiliated taxicabs licensed by the City of Chicago, when in service and for hire, must be equipped at all times to allow for the dispatch of the vehicle to any person requesting transportation. Taxicab affiliations and affiliates are responsible for ensuring that such equipment is activated and operating at all times when the affiliated taxicab is in service.
(h) In the event that a taxicab affiliation contracts with a two-way dispatch service to provide a two-way dispatch system to its affiliates, the taxicab affiliation shall be liable for any acts or omissions of the two-way dispatch service which may violate City ordinances or the rules promulgated thereunder.
(i) No taxicab affiliation shall discriminate in the dispatch of service against any member of the general public requesting transportation.
(j) An affiliate may not have its membership in a taxicab affiliation terminated by the taxicab affiliation, except on 30 days prior written notice to the affiliate and the Commissioner.
(k) If following a hearing held by the Department of Administrative Hearings, a taxicab affiliation is found to have violated any City ordinance or any rule promulgated thereunder, the taxicab affiliation shall be subject to all applicable penalties, including but not limited to a fine, license suspension, and/or license revocation.
(l) The annual fee for each taxicab affiliation license is $500.00 plus $5.00 for each licensee affiliated with the taxicab affiliation at the time of licensing or renewal. All taxicab affiliation licenses expire on November 30. Renewal of taxicab affiliation licensing must be made during the month of November. The fee shall be paid in advance before the license is issued. In order to avoid lapse of the taxicab affiliation license, the licensee must renew the license before the expiration date of the licensing term. Renewal fees must be paid before the first day of the licensing term. Any licensing fee paid on or after the first day of the licensing term is considered a late payment, and is subject to late payment fees, interest accrued as specified in this Code and in rules promulgated by the Commissioner. If an affiliation license is not renewed in a timely manner, such affiliation license shall be considered lapsed.
(m) When a licensee changes its taxicab affiliation during the affiliation licensing year, the Commissioner shall assess the licensee a $25.00 change of affiliation licensing fee. The Commissioner shall promulgate in rules the process governing a change of affiliation.
(n) The Commissioner may promulgate rules governing taxicab affiliations and licensees as affiliates.
(o) Any taxicab affiliation licensee licensed under this section shall not be required to obtain a taxicab two- way dispatch license under 9-112-550.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 15; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6)
(a) All taxicab vehicles belonging to a single taxicab affiliation must display that affiliation's uniform color scheme and logo.
(b) Non-affiliated (independent) taxicab vehicles must display a color scheme and logo that are not duplicative of, or substantially similar to, an existing affiliation's color scheme and logo, unless the affiliation licensee consents to use of its color scheme or logo.
(c) All color schemes and logos must be approved by the Commissioner before being painted and displayed on the vehicles.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 16)
(a) If any taxicab vehicle shall become unsafe for operation or if its body or seating facilities shall be so damaged, deteriorated, or unclean as to render the vehicle unfit for public use, the license therefor shall be suspended by the Commissioner until the vehicle shall be made safe for operation and its body and seating facilities reconditioned, repaired, or replaced as directed by the Commissioner. In determining whether any taxicab vehicle is unfit for public use, the Commissioner shall give consideration to its effect on the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of the drivers and passengers, and its public appearance on the streets of the city.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the Commissioner may seek all applicable penalties, including but not limited to fines, license suspension, and/or license revocation in addition to restitution or other equitable relief against any licensee who violates any of the provisions of this chapter or any rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(c) The Commissioner shall promulgate rules regarding the lengths of suspension and the amounts of fines to be imposed, and the types of equitable relief to be ordered, for specific violations or license types. Before any suspension or revocation or fine is imposed, or equitable relief is ordered, the licensee shall be notified of the specific charges against him and of his right to a hearing in accordance with Chapter 2-14 of the Code.
(d) Upon suspension or revocation of a license or imposition of any fine for cause under the provisions of this chapter, the Commissioner shall remove the license decal and the license card from the vehicle. The Commissioner shall notify the Department of Police of every suspension or revocation and of the termination of any suspension. The Department shall charge the licensee a fee for the costs to replace the license decal and to re-issue the license card, upon payment of fines and termination of suspension. The Commissioner shall set the fee for the costs by rule.
(e) If the Commissioner has information provided by a law enforcement agency or any court of law that a licensee has been charged with the commission of a felony, as defined in Article 2 of the Illinois Criminal Code of 2012, as amended, arising in connection with the provision of taxicab vehicle services, the Commissioner shall immediately suspend all public passenger or taxicab licenses of the licensee until final adjudication is made with respect to such charges.
(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. VII, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 12-16-24, p. 22233, § 4)
Loading...