751.01 DEFINITIONS.

   The following words and phrases when used in this Chapter shall have the meaning set forth herein:

   (a)   "Taxicab" shall mean all public passenger motor vehicles carrying the public generally as passengers for hire, reward, gift, donation or other consideration either direct or indirect on the streets of the city, where route traveled and trip destination are controlled by the passenger and at a charge or fare.

In addition to such motor vehicles as are commonly known as taxicabs, the term "taxicab" includes all motor vehicles of every kind, character, and description which are used as taxicabs, cabs or for-hire cars, and engaged as such in the carriage of passengers for hire, reward, gift, donation or other consideration, either direct or indirect. Motor buses, sight-seeing vehicles, limousine services, and occasional privately operated transportation services from a designated location are specifically excluded.

   (b) "Cab" shall mean taxicab.

   (c) "Taxicab driver" or "driver" shall mean the person driving a taxicab.

   (d)   "Taxicab owner" or "Owner" shall mean every corporation, association, joint stock association, person, sole proprietor, firm or partnership, their lessees, directors, receivers, trustees, appointed by any court whatsoever, or the heirs, executors, administrators, or personal representatives or assigns of any deceased owner, owning, controlling, operating or managing any taxicab, provided, however, that a taxicab driver, driving a taxicab pursuant to a contract of employment or a lease arrangement with the holder of a license for such taxicab shall not be deemed a "taxicab owner".

   (e)   "Safety-Service Director" means the City of Mansfield Safety-Service Director, or his/her authorized designee.
(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.02 LICENSE TO OPERATE.

   No person shall operate or permit to be operated a Taxicab within or from the City unless the owner or operator thereof shall hold a license to operate such vehicle for public hire, duly issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.03 APPLICATION FOR LICENSE.

   Any person desiring to secure a license to operate one or more taxicabs as required by Section 751.02 shall make a written application therefore to the Safety-Service Director upon such form as prescribed by the Safety-Service Director. A fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) shall accompany the written application, to cover the cost of investigating and processing the application.

   Applications shall set forth:

   (a)   The full name, age and residence of the applicant; if the applicant is a partnership, the full name, age and residence of each partner, and if the applicant is a corporation, a limited liability company, or other entity, its principal address and the full names and addresses of its principal officers and members.

   (b)   The name under which the applicant proposes to do business, which business must have a physical business location within the area encompassed by Richland County.

   (c)   The number, type, make, model, markings and capacity of each vehicle to be used as a taxicab, and the names of the drivers or operators thereof with such information as will show such drivers or operators can or do comply with the provisions of Section 751.09 .

   (d)   A schedule of fares or rates to be charged and the method of charging the same.

   (e)   That the applicant is capable of and will carry liability insurance in the amounts hereinafter provided.

   (f)    That the applicant has not been convicted of a felony, and shall provide a record check from the Richland County Sheriff's Office.

   (g)    That the applicant has registered with the City of Mansfield Income Tax Department.

   (h)   Such other information as the Safety-Service Director shall desire.

   The Applicant shall furnish with the application a permit fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) per taxicab to be operated, and proof that each vehicle to be used as a taxicab has, within thirty (30) days of making the application, passed a vehicle inspection performed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, arranged for by the owner and obtained at the owner's expense.

(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.04 INVESTIGATION, GRANTING OF LICENSE, EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL, DISPLAY OF LICENSE.

   (a)   The Safety-Service Director, upon the filing of such application, shall investigate the statements made therein, and if he/she determines that the public welfare will be served by the granting of the license so applied for, he/she shall issue in writing to the applicant a license for each vehicle which the applicant desires to operate for public hire within and from the City. Any license issued hereunder shall expire on January 1st of the year following the year in which it is issued, unless sooner terminated hereunder. A license which is in good standing may be renewed from year to year by the Safety-Service Director upon the applicant paying the required annual license fee set forth in Section 751.06 , furnishing the liability insurance required by Section 751.05 , and complying with the provisions of Section 751.03 . Such license so renewed shall be subject to all the provisions of this Chapter.

   (b)    Every taxicab operated upon the streets of the City shall have displayed at all times in the taxicab in plain view of the passengers, a copy of the license or permit under which the taxicab is operating, an explanation as to how fares are to be calculated, and the driver's identification card of the driver of the taxicab.

   (c)   In addition to the license issued by the Safety-Service Director, the Safety-Service Director shall also issue to the owner an annual license decal which a City Police Officer shall affix to the lower right hand corner of the rear window of the licensed taxicab. Failure to clearly display the annual license decal on the rear window of the taxicab shall be a violation of this Ordinance.
(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.05 LIABILITY INSURANCE.

   (a)   No person shall operate a taxicab, except as provided in Section 751.02 , or permit such vehicle to be so operated, and no license shall be issued hereunder, until and unless the applicant for such license shall deposit with the Safety-Service Director, and keep in full force and effect the following:

   (b)   A policy or certificate of liability insurance, for each taxicab for which a license is sought, acceptable to the Safety-Service Director and the Law Director, insuring the applicant in the following sums:

 

Bodily injury
Per person	$100,000
Per occurrence	300,000
Property damage	100,000
Uninsured motorist	50,000/100,000

   (c)    Such policy shall contain a clause obligating the insurance company to give at least ten days written notice to the Safety-Service Director before any cancellation, change of coverage of the policy, or change of vehicles covered by the policy. Any license issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall be immediately revoked by the Safety-Service Director upon the cancellation, lapse or termination of the policy of insurance, or change of coverage without notice to the City. A license revoked for failure to maintain insurance coverage or cancellation of insurance coverage shall not be reinstated by the Safety-Service Director, until the applicant complies with all original licensing requirements of this Chapter.

   (d)    The City of Mansfield shall be named as an additional insured on all insurance policies required under this Section.

(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.06 ANNUAL LICENSE FEES.

   Every person granted a license hereunder to operate a taxicab shall pay annually, beginning on or before January 1st of each year, a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each taxicab operated for hire under a license issued by the City.

(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)

751.07 INSPECTION OF VEHICLES.

   Each taxicab shall be inspected annually by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, by January 1st of each year, and shall bear a safety inspection sticker showing that it has successfully passed the inspection. The annual inspection is to be made immediately prior to application for the annual re-licensing of taxicabs required under this Chapter.

(Ord. 16-269. Passed 2-7-17.)