(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 metal plate* 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.
* Editor’s note – Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. VII, replaced the term “metal plate” with “license decal” throughout this chapter but did not revise this instance. Future legislation will correct if needed.
(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)