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(a) Before any vehicle permit or franchise is issued for any vehicle mentioned in Section 71.00, the operator of the vehicle shall file with the Department, and shall thereafter keep in full force and effect a policy of insurance in such form and amounts as the Board in consultation with the City Administrative Officer’s Risk Management Section may from time to time require but not less than the appropriate sums specified in the following table. Such insurance shall be written by an insurance company authorized to do business in the State of California, insuring the operator against liability for any loss or damage that may result to any persons or property from the operation of such vehicle: (Amended by Ord. No. 170,068, Eff. 11/18/94.)
Seating Capacity of Vehicle | For Bodily Injury to or Death of One Person | For Bodily Injury to or Death of More Than One Person in Any One Accident | For Loss or Damage to Property in Any One Accident |
1 - 7 passengers | $100,000 | $300,000 | $50,000 |
8 - 12 passengers | $100,000 | $350,000 | $100,000 |
13 - 20 passengers | $100,000 | $450,000 | $100,000 |
21 - 30 passengers | $100,000 | $500,000 | $100,000 |
Over 30 passengers | $100,000 | $600,000 | $100,000 |
EXCEPTION:
Operators of non-motorized vehicles shall maintain a policy of insurance for public liability and property damage in amounts to be determined by the Board.
Such operator may, in lieu of the aforesaid policy of insurance, file with the Department a bond in such form as the Department may require, approved by the City Attorney, executed by a corporate surety authorized to conduct business under the laws of the State of California as a surety in a sufficient amount which bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all final judgments which may be rendered against such operator for damages on account of injuries to any person or property from the operation of such vehicle, and which bond shall be in the amount specified in the following table, according to the size and number of motor vehicles permitted or franchised.
Number of Vehicles Owned or Offered For Hire | Amount of Bond as to Vehicles Having a Seating Capacity of Less than 11 Passengers | Amount of Bond as to Vehicles Having a Seating Capacity of More than 10 Passengers |
1 | $220,000 | $440,000 |
2 - 5 | $300,000 | $600,000 |
6 - 20 | $400,000 | $800,000 |
21 - 60 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
61 - 100 | $600,000 | $1,200,000 |
Over 100 | $700,000 | $1,400,000 |
(b) In the event of the return unsatisfied of any execution issued on any judgment rendered against such operator for damages on amount of injury to person or property occasioned by such motor vehicle, such operator shall, within ten days after the return of such execution unsatisfied, pay such judgment or increase the amount of the operator’s bond by the amount thereof, and failing to do so, the operator shall forthwith cease their operations until such judgment is paid or such bond is so increased. (Amended by Ord. No. 165,491, Eff. 3/19/90.)
(c) All policies or bonds shall contain a provision for continuing liability thereunder up to the full amount thereof notwithstanding any recovery thereon.
(d) If an operator has net assets of at least $500,000.00, the operator may file with the Department a current balance sheet certified by a certified public accountant, and if such balance sheet be approved by the Board, and if the Board shall find that such person has net assets of at least $500,000.00, as aforesaid, and has stipulated in writing to meet all other conditions prescribed by the Board, after Board’s consideration of recommendations of the City’s Risk Manager, as required for self-insurance, then no policy of liability insurance or bond need be filed by such operator; subject, however, to the provisions of Subsection (e) of this section. (Amended by Ord. No. 165,491, Eff. 3/19/90.)
(e) Any operator electing to file a balance sheet in lieu of a policy of liability insurance or bond as hereinabove provided shall thereafter file with the Department, at such period or periods as may be prescribed by the Board from time to time, but not less than annually, current balance sheets certified to by a certified public accountant. The Board may at any time make a further investigation of the net assets of any such person, and whenever the Board find that such person does not appear to have net assets of at least $500,000, as aforesaid, or has not complied with other provisions required as conditions of self-insurance, the Board may revoke the authority of such person to file balance sheets in lieu of a policy of liability insurance or bond, as aforesaid, and shall require such person immediately to file with the City a policy of liability insurance or bond as hereinabove required. (Amended by Ord. No. 165,491, Eff. 3/19/90.)
(f) No person shall operate any vehicle described in Section 71.00 unless there is a policy or bond on file in full force and effect as provided by this section or there is a current balance sheet on file with the Department approved by the Board as aforesaid, and such person is in compliance with all other Board requirements for self-insurance. (Amended by Ord. No. 162,615, Eff. 8/16/87.)
(g) Any operator may file with the Department such combination of policy of insurance and bond as will afford the public protection at least equivalent to the insurance specified above with respect to the payment of judgments obtained against said operator. Such filing shall be subject to approval by the City Attorney. (Amended by Ord. No. 165,491, Eff. 3/19/90.)
(Amended by Ord. No. 165,491, Eff. 3/19/90.)
Vehicles described in Section 71.00 for which a permit or franchise has been granted shall be driven by the grantee thereof or by an employee of the grantee. No grantee or driver of such vehicle shall enter into any contract, agreement or understanding between themselves by the terms of which such driver pays to, or for the account of, such grantee a fixed or determinable sum for the use of such vehicle. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, however, any motor bus or taxicab as described in Section 71.00 for which a permit or franchise has been granted may be driven pursuant to a contract, agreement, or understanding between the grantee and the driver provided the grantee secures the prior authorization of the Board regarding the extent thereof and in the granting of such permission, if the Board does grant such permission, the Board is empowered to impose such conditions as it deems necessary. The Board is further empowered to impose any such conditions as it deems necessary as to any authorizations heretofore given by the Board permitting such leasing or contracting.
(Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
Each Taxicab Operator shall maintain the Department approved vehicle color scheme and company decal, which may include, but is not limited to, lighted panels, beacons, indicia affixed to the dashboard, windshield, or magnetically to the roof of the vehicle. The installation, operation and maintenance of identification methods shall comply with all requirements set forth in the California Vehicle Code, this Code, and the Board Rules. All lighted panels, beacons, and other indicia shall be uniform for all vehicles affiliated with the Taxicab Operator. No color scheme or decal shall conflict with another company’s color scheme or decal. A Taxicab Operator choosing light, non-destructive banding for an affiliated vehicle shall maintain the vehicle’s factory paint color, or, if necessary, shall repaint the vehicle its original factory paint color. Each Taxicab Operator shall maintain the taxicab vehicle number on the taxicab in positions and sizes which are legible as approved by the Board.
(Amended by Ord. No. 173,901, Eff. 5/31/01.)
(a) Each vehicle, other than taxicabs, operated pursuant to a permit issued under the provisions of this Article shall be identified as such by decals or other suitable means as adopted by the Board. Such identification shall be displayed as specified by the Board. Identifying decals shall be provided by the Board for such purpose upon payment of the Vehicle Decal fee specified in Section 71.06.1. No person shall identify any vehicle by means of such decal, or any facsimile thereof, unless authorized to do so by the regulations of the Board.
(b) Every motor vehicle other than taxicabs or autos for hire used and defined herein to carry passengers for hire, shall have displayed on both sides of each vehicle the name or trademark of the person under whose authority the vehicle is being operated or the name of the lessor or lessee thereof. The display of the name or trademark shall be permanently marked in letters in sharp contrast to the background and shall be of such size, shape, or color as to be readily legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet. This section does not prohibit additional displays approved by the Board not inconsistent with this section.
(Amended by Ord. No. 173,301, Eff. 6/30/00, Oper. 7/1/00.)
Each permit issued under the provisions of this article shall entitle the holder thereof to obtain a license to engage in the business described in said permit from the Office of Finance upon the payment of the license fee, and the Office of Finance shall issue to the holder, a license setting forth the kind of transportation for which such license is issued and the year when issued.
(Amended by Ord. No. 173,901, Eff. 5/31/01.)
(a) The Department may establish zones to be used for the parking of vehicles defined in Section 71.00, or operated in passenger transportation service by authority of the California Public Utilities Commission, while awaiting employment.
(b) Any zone so designated shall be occupied only by the permittee or permittees so authorized where such zone has been established in accordance with the provisions herein contained, and shall be occupied only during such hours of the day as may be specified by said Department.
(c) All existing and future taxicab zones established in the City shall be open to use by all Department permitted Taxicab Operators to operate in the service area of said zone. The Department shall make such conditions as it finds necessary to regulate such joint use of taxicab zones. The Board may, after a public hearing, determine that public interest requires that one or more Taxicab Operators be restricted or prohibited from use of any specific zone. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,416, Eff. 3/2/22.)
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