Each applicant for a driver’s permit must meet the following requirements:
(A) Be at least 18 years of age as required by G.S. § 20-5;
(B) A driver’s permit applicant shall submit a medical examination and/or provide the City Manager or his or her designee with a current medical report verifying that the applicant does not suffer from any illness, sickness or disease which would adversely affect the safe operation of a motor vehicle or pose a threat to the health and safety of the public.
(C) All applicants and drivers must submit a blood or urine test at a facility approved by the city for the purpose of detecting the presence of controlled substances and shall provide the City Manager or his or her designee with a copy of the report containing the results of such analysis. The test shall take place and the results submitted with the application for a taxi driver’s permit. All costs related to such analysis shall be the responsibility of the applicant. The driver shall resubmit the test results for such test annually to the taxi examiner every year before renewal of permits (reference to Senate Bill 557 passed on May 20,2003, which authorizes a city to require an applicant for a taxicab license to submit to and pass a drug test).
(D) Be able to read, write and speak the English language.
(E) Maintain a clean and neat personal appearance:
(1) The driver permit applicant must possess at least a valid state Class C motor vehicle operator’s license which has not been suspended or revoked, within three years preceding the date of application, for the operational violations of a motor vehicle.
(2) The taxicab operator applicant shall not have had a revocation or suspension of a state motor vehicle operator’s license for operational violations of a motor vehicle or for failure to appear or failure to comply with a court’s judgment in relation to a minor violation of a traffic law or infraction within the three years preceding the date of application.
(F) Have not been convicted of a felony within ten years of date of application.
(G) Have not been convicted of operation of a motor vehicle in a manner, which resulted in an incapacitating Class A injury on the state traffic accident report or the death of any person.
(H) Have not been convicted of a misdemeanor violation of any city, county, state or federal law relating to the use, possession or sale of alcoholic beverages or substances regulated by the State Controlled Substance Act or the State Toxic Vapors Act; or relating to prostitution or gambling within five years preceding date of application.
(I) Has not been a habitual violator of motor vehicle laws or a habitual user of narcotic drugs, whether or not lawfully obtained, or a habitual abuser of alcoholic beverages within five years preceding date of application. A habitual violator of motor vehicle laws is one who has been convicted of at least three moving violations within the preceding 12 months.
(J) Have permission from an operating permit holder to operate a taxicab under the permit assigned to the operating permit holder.
(Prior Code, § 17-36) (Ord. passed 5-26-1992)