(A) All taxicabs shall be equipped with taximeters which are designed to accurately record time, distance traveled and fare to be charged. All such devices shall be kept by the owner in good working order, and shall be subject to inspection by the Chief of Police or his designated representative at any time. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a taxicab knowing that the taximeter is inaccurate in any of its functions.
(B) No person owning, operating, or controlling a taxicab shall charge other than the schedule of rates at the time authorized by ordinance. A schedule of rates shall be posted in plain view of passengers in each taxicab at all times.
(C) If more than one person occupies or engages a taxicab for a common route or destination, or by time, the operator may make a charge of $.50 for each extra person who has attained the age of two years. No person operating a taxicab shall carry any other passenger after the taxicab has been engaged or occupied by a passenger, without obtaining the consent of the prior passenger, except as provided in division (I) hereof.
(D) When a taxicab arrives at the place to which it has been called by a passenger, the driver shall give notice of his arrival to such person and for the first three minutes following notice there shall be no time charge for waiting, but for any waiting time thereafter, either at the place of call or en route to the passenger's destination, the waiting charge authorized by the current schedule shall be paid. However, no waiting time shall be charged in any case where it is caused by the premature arrival of the driver at the place of call, or where delays occur en route due to the condition of the taxicab or the driver.
(E) No person who requests and receives transportation in any taxicab shall fail or refuse to pay the proper fare or charge authorized by this section.
(F) If demanded by the passenger, the driver of a taxicab shall deliver to the passenger at the time of payment a signed receipt on a form showing the driver's name and taxicab number, together with the distance or time, or both, for which the charge is made, the total amount paid and by whom, and the date of payment.
(G) The charge for taxicab services shall be filed in the office of the Controller and shall be available for public inspection during regular business hours. Any change proposed shall not take effect until at least a two-week public notice has been given of said proposed change by posting and publication in accordance with IC 5-3-1, as amended. Such notice shall additionally inform the public of their right to file written opposition to said fare increase with the Controller, who may submit the matter to the city the Council for review.
(H) Each passenger shall be permitted to carry in the vehicle with him/her his/her personal baggage weighing not over 70 pounds without extra charge.
(I) (1) A
SHARE RIDE means the use of a taxicab to transport persons or property with different points of embarkation or disembarkation at the same or at overlapping times. Each person or group of persons, or articles or group of articles transported from one point of embarkation to one point of disembarkation shall be called a TRIP SEGMENT. The aggregate of trip segments over the time period from the beginning of the first trip segment to the end of the last trip segment shall be an ENTIRE TRIP.
(2) A taxicab may engage in a share ride during a particular entire trip under the following provisions:
(a) If the taxicab is equipped with a taxi meter capable of accounting for each trip segment on a varying rate schedule, as herein below provided;
(b) The first embarking passenger(s) give permission for the taxicab driver to engage in share riding;
(c) The entire trip does not deviate more than two city blocks from the route engaged by the first embarking passenger(s);
(d) The rate applied to each and every trip segment at any one time shall be the rate provided in division (G) of this section reduced by 15% for each trip segment in excess of one for which the taxicab is being used at any one time; and
(e) The additional passenger charge contained in division (C) of this section shall not apply to share rides except that said charge may be required of an extra passenger (above one) for each trip segment.
(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, a taxicab may carry several passengers, but not more than authorized by § 113.31(E), to a single destination under a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or annual flat rate arrangement, regardless of whether their points of embarkation are the same, if the flat fare rate per ride does not exceed what the individual meter rate for the same ride would be.
(Ord. 08-20-84, passed 10-1-84; Am. Ord. 062090C, passed 6-20-90; Am. Ord. 091514A, passed 11-17-14) Penalty, see § 113.99