(A) Any driver may solicit employment by driving through any public street without stopping, other than when required because of obstruction of traffic, and at such speed as not to interfere with or impede traffic.
(B) No driver may solicit passengers for a taxicab except when sitting in the driver’s compartment of such taxicab or while standing immediately adjacent to the curbside. The driver of any taxicab shall remain in the driver’s compartment or immediately adjacent to the taxicab at all times when such taxicab is upon the public street, except that, when necessary, a driver may be absent from the taxicab for not more than ten consecutive minutes. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit any driver from assisting passengers with their parcels or into or out of the taxicab or from exiting the taxicab solely for the purpose of determining whether a taxicab was called.
(C) No driver may solicit passengers in an unreasonably loud or annoying tone of voice or by sign or in any manner annoy any person or obstruct the movement of any persons, or follow any person for the purpose of soliciting passengers. No driver may disrupt or interfere with the travel of other drivers or passengers of other drivers. No driver may abuse, insult, threaten, strike or harm any other driver or any passenger. No driver may refuse to transport or unreasonably delay transporting a passenger to the passenger’s destination in order to attempt to obtain more passengers for hire. No driver may refuse to transport a passenger to the passenger’s destination if the destination is within ten miles outside the corporate limits of the city and if the driver can safely and legally reach the destination.
(D) All drivers must maintain a neat and clean appearance and observe reasonable standards of personal hygiene while on duty or while operating a taxicab licensed by the city. All drivers must keep the interior of their taxicabs reasonably free of body odors or odors from food or other items.
(E) All drivers are prohibited from smoking in their taxicabs and shall prohibit their passengers from smoking while inside their taxicabs. All taxicabs are to be designated “nonsmoking.” This provision shall apply even while the taxicab is “off-duty” and not being commercially operated or for hire as a taxicab.
(F) All drivers shall be clean and free of body odor noticeable to a reasonable passenger. All drivers shall have visible head and facial hair neatly trimmed and combed or brushed. All drivers shall wear shirts, blouses, or dresses with sleeves and collars or necklines that are finished, sewn and not cut and hemmed slacks, shorts, skirts or dresses. All drivers shall wear clean clothing without tears or holes. Shirts or blouses must completely cover the driver’s waist. No driver shall wear sweat pants, sweat shirts, trunks, tank tops, body shirts, muscle shirts, see-through clothing, any visible underwear, sandals or flip-flops. These dress requirements must be met at any time a driver is operating a taxicab marked or licensed as a taxicab within the city, regardless of whether it is for hire.
(G) Failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection may subject the driver to a fine of $100 issued by the Police Department, an officer commissioned to issue ordinance violation citations, or the Department of Code Enforcement, in addition to other penalties available under this section against the driver or holder.
(Ord. 24-2016, passed 11-21-16)