(A) No person shall engage in or operate a taxicab business and pick up persons for hire in the course of such business within the city limits, without a taxicab driver and taxicab license to operate in another political subdivision in this state, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. A driver and cab so licensed may carry passengers to any place or point within the city and may solicit or pick up business within the city.
(B) For purposes of this section, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed to them:
OPERATOR. Shall mean any person who drives a taxicab, whether such person be the owner of such taxicab or an employee of said owner.
OWNER. Shall mean any person owning or having control of the use of one or more taxicabs for use in a taxicab business, whether or not said owner is a taxicab operator.
STREET. Any street, alley, avenue, court, bridge, lane or public place in the city.
TAXICAB. Shall mean any motor vehicle engaged in the carrying of persons for hire, either over a fixed route, operated from a street stand, subject to calls from a garage, or otherwise operated for hire;
but the term shall not include vehicles subject to control and regulation by the State Railroad and Warehouse Commission, the Metropolitan Transit Commission, or vehicles regularly used by undertakers.
TAXICAB STAND. Shall mean any public place which is exclusively reserved by authority of the city for the use of taxicabs.
TAXIMETER. Shall mean any mechanical instrument or device by which the charge for hire of a taxicab is mechanically calculated, either by distance traveled or waiting time or both, and upon which such charge shall be indicated by figures.
(C) Every taxicab under this section shall have some designation of the character of the vehicle painted in plain visible letters on each side thereof.
(1) A card printed in plain legible letters shall be displayed inside each taxicab and shall indicate the maximum rates that are to be charged, the name of the operator; together with a statement that articles lost in the taxicab will be forwarded to the city Police Department, where they may be identified and claimed, and the statement “Ask the Driver for Bill and Receipt” in bold type.
(2) (a) Every taxicab shall be equipped with a taximeter. Each taximeter shall be sealed with case and gear intact, and shall be semi-annually certified and checked for accuracy and working condition by an agency qualified to perform such service.
(b) Each taximeter shall be kept in plain view of the passenger and shall be maintained in good and accurate working order at all times.
(3) Rates charged by taxicabs for conveyance in this city shall be the same as the rates set by the political subdivision the taxi is licensed out of. Upon request therefor, every passenger shall be given a receipt upon payment of his fare.
(4) When in operation, taxicabs not carrying passengers shall be parked at stands designated for that purpose from time to time by resolution of the Council. Said resolution shall also designate the number of taxicabs which may be stationed at any such stand.
(5) The taxicab drive shall maintain proof of an insurance policy with an insurance company duly licensed to transact such business in this state; insuring against: loss from the liability imposed by law for damages on account of bodily injuries or death, or for damages to property resulting from the ownership, maintenance or use of any taxicab in the taxicab at all times. The limit in such insurance policy of such taxicab shall not be less than $100,000 for bodily injuries to or death of one person and $300,000 on account of any one accident resulting in injuries and/or death to more than one person, and a total of $10,000 liability for damages to property of others, arising out of any one accident. This policy shall be presented to any police officer upon request.
(D) Every taxicab operator shall be subject to the below named regulations. The operator and the vehicle owner shall jointly insure enforcement of such regulations.
(1) All operators shall be clean and courteous at all times.
(2) No operator shall carry any person other than the passenger first employing a taxicab without the consent of such passenger.
(3) No operator shall charge or attempt to charge any passenger a greater rate of fare than that established by the political subdivision that licensed the taxicab.
(4) No operator shall knowingly deceive with the intent to defraud any passenger who may ride with him, or who may desire to ride in his vehicle, as to his destination or distance to be traveled.
(5) No operator shall solicit passengers as fares except when traveling around the streets or at a regularly designated stand. No operator shall alight from his taxicab at any time for the purpose of soliciting passengers, provided that this shall not prohibit any driver from alighting from his taxicab to assist a passenger entering or alighting from his taxicab.
(6) Each operator shall forward lost articles found in his taxicab to the Police Department.
(`77 Code, § 5.603) (Am. Ord. 1377, passed 10-12-98; Am. Ord. 1441, passed 10-8-01) Penalty, see § 5.701