(Title and Section Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
(a) No person, corporation, cooperative, association, firm, partnership, membership organization, or other entity shall drive, operate or use, whether as owner, lessor, lessee or otherwise, any of the vehicles defined in Section 71.00 to pick-up or attempt to pick-up passengers within the limits of the City of Los Angeles, or allow or permit to be operated, driven, or used, whether as owner, lessor, lessee, or otherwise, any of the vehicles defined in Section 71.00 to pick-up or attempt to pick-up a passenger within the limits of the City of Los Angeles unless a written vehicle permit for the operation of such specifically defined vehicles has been obtained from the Board.
(b) No Taxicab Operator shall dispatch a taxicab or respond to a request for a taxicab for pick-up within the City of Los Angeles unless the responding vehicle is operated pursuant to a permit granted by the Department.
(c) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b) above, a taxicab company permitted by the County of Los Angeles, or by a city located within the County of Los Angeles, may provide prearranged trips within the City.
(d) No taxicab shall continue in service if the taxicab vehicle permit is expired, suspended, canceled, or revoked.
(e) Every Taxicab Operator shall include the number of its certificate, license, or permit in every written or oral advertisement of the services it offers. For purposes of this subsection, "advertisement" includes, but is not limited to: (1) the issuance of any card, sign, or device to any person; and (2) the causing, permitting, or allowing the placement of any sign or marking on or in any building or structure, or in any media form, including newspaper, magazine, internet site, application (app), radio wave, satellite signal, or any other electronic transmission, or in any directory soliciting taxicab transportation services. Whenever the Board, after a hearing, finds that any Taxicab Operator is operating as a taxicab transportation service without a valid certificate, license or permit, or fails to include in any written or oral advertisement its certificate, license, or permit, the Board may:
(1) Impose a fine of not more than $5,000 for each violation;
(2) Assess the Taxicab Operator an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable expense of investigation incurred by the Department; and
(3) Assess interest on any fine or assessment imposed to commence on the day the payment of the fine or assessment becomes delinquent.
(f) Any fee or assessment by the Board shall be deposited on a monthly basis into the Transportation Regulation and Enforcement Fund as set forth in Section 71.26 of this Code.