It shall be unlawful for any person owning or operating a taxicab or motor vehicle for hire:
(a) To drive any such vehicle while under the influence of liquor or to drink any intoxicating liquor whatsoever while transporting passengers;
(b) To allow any such vehicle to be used for unlawful purposes or to procure or aid in procuring any person for unlawful purposes.
(c) To smoke, swear or act in a boisterous manner while actually carrying passengers in such vehicle.
(d) To charge more than the rates fixed in this division.
(e) To fail, neglect or refuse to turn in to the Department of Police within twenty-four (24) hours all lost articles found in such vehicle.
(f) To drive or park such vehicle in violation of any of the terms of this division, this Code or of any other ordinance of the City or of any State law.
(g) To use or permit the use of any portion of the public streets, alleys or other public places as a taxi stand, except the portion of the streets, alleys and other public places as shall have been set aside by the Traffic Engineer as taxi stands.
(h) To fail to notify the Department of Police within twelve (12) hours of any accident, giving the time and location of the accident, the name of any person injured the character of injuries so far as known, and, in case of property damage, the estimated amount of such damage.
(i) To travel up and down streets and alleys of the City seeking customers, commonly called “cruising,” except that any such vehicle may seek employment by driving through any public street or alley without stops other than those due to obstructions in traffic, and at such a speed as not to interfere with or impede traffic, and may pass and repass before any theater, hall, hotel, public resort, railway station or other public gathering; provided that after passing such public place he or she shall not turn and repass until he or she have has gone a distance of two (2) square blocks beyond such place.
(j) To allow any person except the driver to ride on the front seat of any taxicab, except when the back seat is occupied by two (2) or more persons.
(k) To solicit passengers for such vehicles upon the streets of the City, except when sitting upon the driver’s seat of such vehicle and parked in a taxi stand.
(l) To permit any political advertising matter or advertising matter referring to the sale or use of alcoholic beverages, other than beer and wine, to be placed on taxicabs. Other advertising is permitted.
(m) To ask or request any person to take passage in such vehicle when, waiting to take passage on a streetcar or bus, in an established loading point for such streetcar or bus.
(n) To refuse or neglect a potential occupant possessing the appropriate fare when not already engaged, to convey any person to any place in the City in such vehicle; and on the person being placed in such conveyance, the same shall be driven by the most direct and safe route to the place where such person wishes to go; provided, that it shall not be considered to require any driver to take as a passenger any person under the influence of liquor or to justify his or her assisting in the carrying of liquor in violation of any law or ordinance or the using of such vehicle for any illegal purpose;
(o) To allow any person to wear his or her public driver’s badge received by virtue of this division while operating any taxicab or motor vehicle for hire, or to use the public driver’s badge of any other registered person.
(p) To fail to notify the Police Department of the discharge or withdrawal of a public driver from his or her place of employment within twenty-four (24) hours after such discharge or withdrawal occurs.
(q) To fail to mark conspicuously on both sides of each taxicab, or motor vehicle for hire, the name of the company owning such vehicle.
(r) To fail to affix the City taxicab license plate in a conspicuous place, as near the State license plate as practicable, such location to be approved by the Police Department of the City.
(s) To transport or carry any alcoholic liquors or beverage in the vehicle unless the owner of the alcoholic liquor or beverage is a passenger for hire in the taxicab or motor vehicle.
(t) To operate a taxicab for hire while the roof light is on or with passengers without a valid public driver’s license.
(u) To have faulty passenger door locks, preventing the occupants form entering and exiting freely.
(v) To operate a taxicab, or motor vehicle for hire, while State or City license plate has expired.
(Ord. 347, passed 6-26-1930; Ord. 1501, passed 7-29-1959; Ord. 3085, passed 1-9-1989; Ord. 3783, passed 12-13-2010)