(a) No person shall operate or permit to be operated in the City any taxicab on a distance tariff or transport passengers in or offer for hire, unless such vehicle is equipped with a single rate taximeter that has been approved for mechanical accuracy by the Police Department.
(b) No person shall own, operate or drive a taxicab unless such a taximeter is used in determining the fare to be charged, and no other or different fare shall be charged than what is recorded on the reading face of such taximeter for the trip, except that the hourly rate may be used by previous arrangement with the passengers after the meter has registered an amount equal to that of the first hour, conforming to the rates as herein provided for. No other methods of figuring rates or measuring distances shall be allowed.
(c) No person shall operate or drive any taxicab equipped with a taximeter, in public service, with the case of the taximeter not sealed and the cover and gear thereof not intact.
(d) No person shall operate or drive a taxicab after sundown without having the face of the taximeter thereon illuminated as hereinafter provided, or drive a taxicab without having the taximeter set and regulated to conform with the rates of fare in Section 731.14.
(e) All taximeters and the power take-off gear box shall be sealed and shall at all times bear this seal when operating. Every such meter and gear box shall be inspected by the Police Department at least twice each year and at other periodic intervals.
(f) It shall be the responsibility of both the taxicab owner and taxicab driver to ascertain that the meter and gear box are sealed before driving any taxicab within the City.
(g) Every taximeter shall be equipped with a suitable light so arranged as to project a steady light on the face thereof.
(Ord. 24-94. Passed 7-5-94.)