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(Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
The Board shall have the power to adopt and enforce such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the purposes of this article to the extent that such rules and regulations are not preempted by, or in conflict with, any federal or state law, or any ordinance or resolution adopted by the City Council. Such rules and regulations may include, but are not limited to, the following: rules and regulations pertaining to the service, safety, and operation of the vehicles defined in this article; rules and regulations prescribing limitations, conditions, and qualifications of applicants for vehicle permits, driver permits, and ambulance attendant permits; rules and regulations relating to hearings conducted pursuant to Section 71.09 of this article; and rules and regulations specifying the monetary penalties and the procedures to collect the penalties that may be levied against an operating permit, vehicle permit, driver permit and attendant permit grantee pursuant to Sections 71.02.2 and 71.09.2 of this article. The Board shall also adopt and enforce all such requirements set forth in California Government Code Section 53075.5(b), pertaining to local regulation of taxicab transportation services.
(Amended by Ord. No. 173,901, Eff. 5/31/01.)
(a) The Taxicab Administrator and the Senior Transportation Engineer assigned to franchise regulation functions shall have the power, authority and immunity of a public officer or employee, as set forth in the Penal Code of the State of California, Section 836.5, to make arrests without a warrant whenever the Taxicab Administrator or Senior Transportation Engineer has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a misdemeanor or an infraction in their presence which is a violation of this article, or of any ordinance of the City of Los Angeles or penal law of the State relating to such matters as public transportation and parking control, and, in addition, all violations set forth in Section 80.01.1.
(b) The Chief Transportation Investigators, Senior Transportation Investigators and Transportation Investigators shall have the immunity, authority, and powers of arrest of a peace officer to the extent permitted under state law, or any ordinance of this Code pertaining to matters under the jurisdiction of the Department. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
(c) The above designated employees shall also be authorized to issue citations for the various offenses under their jurisdiction and the cited persons shall be subject to either administrative hearings and penalties (for Board Order violations) or as provided for in the Penal Code Sections 853.5 and/or 853.6. (for Infractions and Misdemeanors).
(d) Each of the above designated employees shall carry upon themself a metallic badge, of a size and design to be determined as provided in Sec 52.32 of this Code, while performing their respective duties applicable to Chapters VII and VIII of the Municipal Code.
(Title and Section Amended by Ord. No. 182,704, Eff. 10/15/13.)
The following persons shall have the authority to obtain federal, state and local summary criminal history information pursuant to the California Penal Code, Section 11105(b)(11) and Section 13300(b)(11), in fulfilling their duties applicable to Chapter VII and Chapter VIII of the Los Angeles Municipal Code: the Board of Transportation Commissioners, the Commission Executive Assistant to the Board of Transportation Commissioners, the Board of Taxicab Commissioners, the Commission Executive Assistant to the Board of Taxicab Commissioners, the General Manager and the Assistant General Manager, the Chief of Transit Programs, the Taxicab Administrator, the Senior Transportation Engineer, the Transportation Engineer, the Senior Management Analyst I, the Chief Transportation Investigator, the Senior Transportation Investigators, and the Transportation Investigators assigned to or having responsibility for permitting and licensing, and for parking control functions within the Department of Transportation.
(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.
(Title and Section Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
(a) The General Manager or the General Manager’s designee may, after due notice and an opportunity to be heard, suspend a Taxicab Operator’s permit, or any portion thereof for one or more days, upon any of the following grounds:
(1) Noncompliance with permit terms and conditions as specified therein; Board rules and orders as specified therein; Department directives; City ordinances; state law, including, but not limited to, the California Vehicle Code, the California Government Code, the California Labor Code, and the California Penal Code.
(2) Illegally conducting any type of public transportation operation licensed by the City or any other governmental agency. Such suspension may be of one or more vehicles issued permits to operate throughout the City and/or suspension of the right to pick-up at certain taxicab stands and at Los Angeles International Airport.
(Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
(a) The Board may levy monetary penalties in addition to or in lieu of suspension of an operating permit pursuant to Section 71.02 above. Monetary penalties may be levied on a per violation basis, or a per day basis, and may escalate on a first, second, or third or subsequent violation basis. Deficiencies in operations that endanger the public health, welfare, and/or safety shall receive the maximum penalties.
(b) The Board shall adopt by resolution a schedule of monetary penalties, a procedure for assessing monetary penalties for specific driver and/or Taxicab Operator violations, and an appeal procedure.
(c) Payment of a monetary penalty or the serving of a suspension shall constitute a waiver of the right to further appeal of any monetary penalty or suspension to the Board or Superior Court.
(d) Judicial review of an action by the Board levying such monetary penalty or of an action of the Board in denying an appeal, as provided for herein, shall be available only if a petition for a writ of mandate is filed in the Superior Court not later than the 90th day following the date upon which the decision of the Board becomes final, which shall be the expiration of the period during which reconsideration can be sought, provided that if reconsideration is sought, the decision is final for the purposes of this section on the date that reconsideration is rejected.
(e) The total monetary penalty payment is due by the date established by the Board as set forth in the Board Rules.
(f) A penalty of 10 percent of the amount of the payment shall be assessed on any payment assessed against a Taxicab Operator which has become delinquent. Failure to pay any delinquent payment on or before the last day of the fourth month following the date on which the payment first became delinquent will result in the assessment of a second penalty of 10 percent of the amount of the payment in addition to the amount of the payment and the 10 percent penalty first imposed.
(g) In addition to the penalties imposed above, failure to pay any payment required by ordinance or operating permit will result in the assessment of interest charges at the rate of 1-1/2 percent per month, or fraction thereof, on the amount of the payment, exclusive of penalties, from the date on which the payment first became delinquent until it is paid.
(Added by Ord. No. 170,068, Eff. 11/18/94.)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, association or cooperative to operate, maintain, drive or park any vehicle, as defined in Section 71.00, on any street, roadway, thoroughfare, highway or public right-of-way within the boundaries of the City of Los Angeles without a permit or business license granted or issued for the operation of the specified vehicle by an authorized governmental entity in the State of California.
(b) Violation of this section will subject the violator to impoundment of the unlawful vehicle by the City of Los Angeles and is deemed a misdemeanor.
(c) Whenever any peace officer, public officer or employee of the City of Los Angeles arrests any person for violation of this section, the officer or employee shall impound and retain possession of any vehicle used in violation of this section until a court of competent jurisdiction or an officer or employee of the City of Los Angeles shall release said vehicle.
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