9-112-470 Vehicle out of service – Notice to city required.

   Every taxicab shall be operated regularly to the extent reasonably necessary to meet the public demand for service. Licensees must notify the Commissioner if the service of any taxicab vehicle is discontinued for a period of 30 continuous days for any reason. Additionally, licensees must surrender the license card and the license decal for any taxicab that is discontinued for a period of 30 continuous days for any reason. The Commissioner has the authority to demand that the licensee place into service a taxicab within five business days of the notice.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 19; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. VII, § 9)

9-112-480 Number of available licenses – Distribution.

   Except as otherwise provided in Section 9-112-575, the commissioner shall promulgate regulations to set forth procedures by which all available taxicab licenses shall be distributed periodically (by sale, lease, or otherwise) pursuant to open and competitive bidding procedures. The procedures shall be designed to produce the maximum amount of revenues to the city consistent with serving the public interest, and to ensure that only applicants that are qualified under this chapter are awarded licenses.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-10-16, p. 18543, § 1)

9-112-490 License number and driver identification – Display.

   Every taxicab shall have the taxicab vehicle license number painted in one of the following locations: (1) the center of the main panel of the rear doors of the vehicle, or (2) on the rear panels of the vehicle if an advertising permit has been issued for the rear door. If the medallion licensee is affiliated with a taxicab affiliation, the affiliation’s color scheme, name, and telephone number shall be substituted.

   The Commissioner may also provide, pursuant to rule, that other information of interest to the public, including, but not limited to, the licensee’s or taxicab affiliation’s website or e-mail address and/or the current taximeter rates of fare be permanently and prominently affixed to the outside of the vehicle. No other name, number, emblem, or advertisement of any kind excepting signs or advertisements required or permitted by this chapter, official license emblems or a license decal shall be painted or carried so as to be visible on the outside of any taxicab unless otherwise required by state law.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-23, p. 6542, Art. VII, § 10)

9-112-500 Information required to be posted.

   A licensee is responsible for ensuring that his taxicab(s) permanently display the information in a manner set forth by the commissioner. The information must be displayed, in letters and numerals large enough to be plainly visible to the passenger. The information contents shall include at a minimum: the license number, and the taxicab meter rates and charges set by ordinance. The commissioner may promulgate rules governing the form, the placement and the contents of the information to be displayed.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)

9-112-510 Taximeter, fare collection and global position system specifications.

   A licensee is responsible for ensuring that his taxicab(s) are equipped with a taximeter connected with and operated from the transmission of the taxicab to which it is attached. The taximeter must be active whenever the taxicab is engaged for hire within the city limits.

   Taximeters must register the rates and charges accrued as set by this chapter. The taximeter shall display the fare in a manner and size so as to be plainly visible to the passenger while riding in the back seat of the vehicle. All taximeters must be equipped with a receipt-dispensing mechanism. The commissioner may promulgate rules governing taximeter and receipt specifications.

   The fare-indicating mechanism of the taximeter shall be actuated by the distance mechanism whenever the vehicle is in motion at such a speed that the rate of distance revenue equals or exceeds the time rate, and may be actuated by the time mechanism whenever the vehicle speed is less than this and when the vehicle is not in motion.

   Taximeters shall be designed, calibrated and tested to register fares pursuant to the standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (N.I.S.T.) in N.I.S.T. Handbook 44, or standards approved by a United States governmental weights and measurements agency with authority over such standards and approved through rules promulgated by the Commissioner.

   It is unlawful for a licensee to operate or lease a taxicab or a public chauffeur to operate a taxicab for hire within the city unless (1) that taxicab's meter has been sealed by the commissioner and (2) the meter is in proper and accurate working condition in accordance with this chapter and applicable rules.

   The commissioner is authorized to issue rules necessary to regulate the payment of fares, including but not limited to, cash, credit cards, debit cards, cyber-cash and other generally acceptable means of purchasing goods and services. Such rules may also specify the type and placement of non-cash payment devices, providing that all non-cash payment methods shall be located in the rear passenger compartment for use by the passenger.

   Such rules may also provide the maximum amount charged to the chauffeur, directly or indirectly, by any taxicab licensee or taxicab affiliation in processing any non-cash payment of a fare.

   As of the effective date of this chapter, any licensee who replaces a taxicab must install in the replacement vehicle a rear seat swipe credit card processing equipment approved by the department.

   The commissioner is authorized to issue rules necessary to require and regulate the installation of global position system (GPS) in all taxicabs.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 20)

9-112-520 Taximeter inspection.

   At the time a taxicab license is issued and annually thereafter the taximeter shall be inspected and tested by the city to determine if it complies with the specifications of this chapter and applicable rules. If it is in proper condition for use, the taximeter shall be sealed by the commissioner. Upon complaint or as part of a random inspection by the department, a taximeter may be again inspected and tested.

   The licensee must deliver the taxicab with the taximeter attached for inspection and testing as requested by the commissioner. The commissioner has the authority to suspend the license and the taxicab vehicle if the licensee fails to bring the taxicab for requested taximeter inspection.

   The commissioner may by rule set taximeter inspection fees.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)

9-112-530 Tampering with meters prohibited.

   It is unlawful for any person (1) to tamper with, mutilate, change, or break any taximeter or taximeter seal, or (2) to transfer a taximeter from one taxicab to another unless the taxicab with a transferred taximeter has passed an inspection test and the taximeter transfer has been approved by the commissioner.

   The licensee is strictly liable for a violation of this section.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)

9-112-540 Out of service taxicab.

   If the taxicab is out of service or responding to a call for service, the driver of the vehicle is responsible to ensure that a "Not for Hire" sign is visibly displayed.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)

9-112-550 Taxicab two-way dispatch.

   (a)   No person shall operate or provide a taxicab two-way dispatch system without first obtaining a license from the Commissioner, unless such person has an active taxicab affiliation license issued under 9-112-340.

   (b)   Application for a two-way dispatch service license shall be made on a print or electronic form prescribed by the Commissioner and accompanied by such documents as the Commissioner may require and shall include, but not be limited to, (1) proof that the two-way dispatch system has a place of business in Chicago; and (2) the name and license information of the entities with which the two-way dispatch system has a contract to provide service. 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. The annual fee for a taxicab two-way dispatch service system license is $500.00. All taxicab two-way dispatch system service licenses expire on November 30. Renewal 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 two-way dispatch service system 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 and interest accrued as specified in the Code and promulgated in the rules by the Commissioner. A taxicab two-way dispatch service system license not renewed in a timely manner is considered lapsed.

   (c)   For the purpose of ensuring adequate service to customers who request transportation, the Commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations governing the dispatch of taxicab vehicles. These rules shall include, but not be limited to: standards for determining adequate and timely service; the responsibilities of taxicab affiliations, two-way dispatch services, taxicab medallion holder licensees, and public chauffeurs in responding to requests for service within a specified time frame. Penalties per violation of this chapter and applicable rules include, but are not limited to, fines and/or license suspension or license revocation.

   (d)   The Commissioner may also provide by rule reasonable minimum standards, based on the number of affiliates served by the taxicab two-way dispatch service, regarding the number of taxicab two-way dispatch requests received and answered in a timely manner annually by a taxicab affiliation(s), its members, and contractors. Any taxicab two-way dispatch service and/or taxicab affiliation, applying for renewal of their license, which failed to meet these standards in the previous year shall be issued a probationary license. Any taxicab two-way dispatch service and/or taxicab affiliation, applying for renewal of a probationary license, which failed to meet these standards during the year they operated under a probationary license, may have their application denied.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 21; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6)

9-112-560 Airport service.

   (a)   Every licensed public chauffeur of a taxicab licensed by the City of Chicago shall service Chicago- O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport (for purposes of this section, respectively, "O'Hare" and "Midway") by transporting, upon request, persons to and from these airports. No licensed public chauffeur may refuse a proper request for transportation to and from these airports.

   (b)   It is unlawful for an owner or a driver of any vehicle not licensed as a taxicab or public passenger vehicle by the City of Chicago to solicit or accept for transportation any person or persons at or upon the premises of these airports for transportation within or outside of the City of Chicago. Provided, however, this provision shall not apply when the person at either airport desiring other taxicab service has prearranged to hire a suburban taxicab or livery to transport him outside of the City of Chicago.

   (c)   No suburban taxicab or livery vehicle is prohibited from entering those airports to discharge passengers previously accepted for transportation outside the City of Chicago for the purpose of transportation to these airports.

   (d)   The fares and charges set forth by ordinance apply to all fares to and from these airports, except as otherwise indicated in this section.

   (e)   The fare for transportation originating from O'Hare or Midway to the following suburbs is a straight meter fare plus any applicable tolls and surcharges:

      Alsip
      Bedford Park
      Blue Island
      Burbank
      Burnham
      Calumet City
      Calumet Park
      Cicero
      Des Plaines
      Dolton
      Elk Grove Village
      Elmwood Park
      Evanston
      Evergreen
      Forest View
      Harwood Heights
      Hines/VA hospital
      Hometown
      Lincolnwood
      Merrionette Park
      Niles
      Norridge
      Oak Park
      Oak Lawn
      Park Ridge
      River Grove
      Riverdale
      Rosemont
      Skokie
      Stickney
      Summit

   (f)   A shared ride program shall be in operation only from O'Hare and Midway. For purposes of this section a "shared ride" means a taxicab trip with a minimum of two passengers and maximum of four passengers that originates from specified locations and ends within specified locations for a specified flat fee per person.

   Shared rides shall be in operation only at designated cab stands when authorized personnel are on duty. The authorized personnel shall have complete authority to make final decisions pertaining to loading shared ride passengers at these airports.

   The following shall be the starting and ending points and rates for shared rides. Prices listed are per person, per trip, and do not include tolls and other surcharges:

 

From O'Hare to Downtown or McCormick Place –	$24.00
From Midway to Downtown or McCormick Place –	$18.00
From O'Hare to Midway –	$37.00
From Midway to O'Hare –	$37.00

 

   For purposes of this section the term "downtown" means the area bounded by 22nd Street (South), Fullerton Avenue (North), Ashland Avenue (West), and Lake Michigan (East).

   The commissioner may by rule regulate at the airports procedures and protocols for taxicab staging, movement of taxicabs from the staging areas to the terminals, loading and unloading of passengers at the airports, and any other activity that affects taxicab service at the airports.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6)

9-112-565 Consolidated taxicab electronic dispatch applications.

   (a)   The commissioner is authorized to select an application or applications for the dispatching of taxicab vehicles. Applications shall be accessible by internet-enabled devices, a digital platform or telephone, or any other method approved by the commissioner. The commissioner is authorized to issue a solicitation, and to select an entity or entities, pursuant to such solicitation, to provide its dispatching service applications to taxicab vehicles. The regulations may also require the designated application providers to maintain and provide to the City verifiable records regarding the reliability of the dispatching service applications in responding to any request for service.

   (b)   The commissioner is also authorized to require every licensee's taxicabs to use one of the applications designated by the commissioner.

   (c)   The commissioner may allow the entity providing the application to assess fees, consistent with rules to be promulgated by the commissioner, covering the costs incurred by the entity providing the application in making the application available for use by the taxicabs, drivers and public.

   (d)   Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a licensee from being affiliated with or dispatched by another two-way dispatch system in addition to the applications designated in subsection (a) above.

   (e)   The commissioner is authorized to adopt rules and regulations for the proper administration of this section.

(Added Coun. J. 12-10-14, p. 101074, § 4)

9-112-570 Wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs, wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles and centralized wheelchair-accessible dispatch.

   (a)   (1)   The Commissioner is authorized by rule to further regulate wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs, wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles, and a centralized dispatch system for wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs or wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles, or both.

      (2)   The Commissioner is authorized to negotiate and enter into agreements with outside providers to manage and operate a centralized dispatch system for wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs or wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles, or both; and, in connection with such agreements, to enter into and execute all such other instruments and to perform any and all acts, including the allocation and expenditure of duly appropriated funds, as shall be necessary or advisable in connection with the implementation of such agreements and any renewals thereto. A centralized dispatch system agreement authorized under this subsection (a)(2) may provide for the dispatching of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicab or a wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicle for the transportation of an unoccupied wheelchair that is left behind by a person in a wheelchair because of a technical failure affecting the wheelchair or when such person is transported without the wheelchair due to a medical emergency.

      (3)   The Commissioner is authorized to assess the costs of such centralized dispatch system upon those licensees, or transportation network licensees, as the term is defined in Section 9-115-010, with wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs and wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles.

   (b)   (1)   Any single licensee that owns or controls 20 or more licenses must place into service wheelchair-accessible vehicles as taxicabs on five percent of its taxicab vehicle fleet.

      (2)   In addition to compliance with subparagraph (b)(1) of this section, any licensee that owns or controls 10 or more taxicab licenses shall have at least 10 percent of its taxicab fleet be wheelchair-accessible vehicles by January 1, 2018, subject to the Commissioner’s determination that the demand for wheelchair-accessible vehicles is being met. Effective January 1, 2017, if a licensee subject to this subsection (b)(2) replaces any taxicab vehicle, the replacement vehicle, until the licensee complies with the requirement of this subsection (b)(2), shall be a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.

      (3)   Any licensee that owns or controls 5 or more taxicab licenses shall have a total of at least 25 percent of its taxicab fleet be wheelchair-accessible vehicles by January 1, 2027. Effective January 1, 2025, if a licensee subject to this subsection (b)(3) replaces any taxicab vehicle, the replacement vehicle, until the licensee complies with the requirement of this subsection (b)(3), shall be a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.

      (4)   If accessibility fund monies are available, in addition to other uses provided in this Code, they shall be used to reimburse the additional costs associated with purchasing vehicles to be used as taxicabs that are fully wheelchair-accessible as provided in the definition of the term “accessibility fund”.

      (5)   If a licensee replaces a wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicab, the replacement vehicle shall also be a wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicab.

   (c)   In determining the wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs requirements above, the City will add up the total number of licenses held by a single licensee. The total number of licenses that each licensee holds will be based on the total licenses in each corporation, or legal entity, in which he holds a 25 percent or greater share of ownership interest including, but not limited to, stocks and shares.

   (d)   Each taxicab affiliation must have verifiable records, in a form designated by the Commissioner by rule, regarding the response of the taxicab affiliation to each request for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Each taxicab affiliation shall provide such records to the Commissioner upon request for same.

   (e)   The Department shall audit the centralized dispatch for wheelchair-accessible vehicles and wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles on an annual basis. If the Department finds that the centralized dispatch is not serving the goals of the disabled community, the Department shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure that the disabled community is served in a timely manner.

   (f)   The Commissioner may periodically engage in conversations with wheelchair-access transportation services passengers and stakeholders to assess wheelchair-accessible vehicle taxicabs and wheelchair-accessible transportation network vehicles quality of service.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-28-14, p. 82771, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 12062, Art. XI, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 22; Amend Coun. J. 5-20-20, p. 17024, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 12-16-24, p. 23004, Part 1, Art. I, § 1)

9-112-575 Taxicab driver awards.

   (a)   In each calendar year, up to ten taxicab medallion licenses may be awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated, through their actions as licensed public chauffeurs, the greatest dedication to providing service to persons needing wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Awardees must place awarded medallion licenses onto wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

   (b)   The Commissioner is authorized to develop and administer a taxicab driver incentive program to promote outstanding taxicab service. Program awards may include the granting of up to two taxicab medallion licenses per calendar year.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-10-16, p. 18543, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. IX, § 23; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 31925, Art. VI, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 12-16-24, p. 23004, Part 1, Art. I, § 1)

9-112-580 T.A.P. program compliance.

   The Taxi Access Program (T.A.P.) gives certified paratransit customers an opportunity to travel in taxis at reduced rates for trips that originate within the City of Chicago.

   As a condition of being licensed, every licensee and taxicab affiliation must participate in and comply with T.A.P. or similar program providing for increased access to taxicab service to persons with disabilities.

   Compliance with T.A.P. includes accepting and processing T.A.P. forms of payment, such as the T.A.P. swipe card.

(Added Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19118, § 1)