(a) All taxicabs operated under the authority of this chapter, except as provided in subsection (c), shall be equipped with taximeters of the type or technology approved by the California Division of Measurement Standards and that complies with California Business and Professions Code section 12500.5 and with all regulations established pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 12107, located in the vehicle so as to render the figures visible to to the passengers at all times, day and night. After sundown, the face of the taximeter shall be illuminated. Such taximeter shall be subject to inspection from time to time by the police department and the police department shall require the certificate holder to discontinue the operation of any taxicab in which the taximeter is found to calculate inaccurately until such taximeter is replaced by one approved by the police department or is adjusted accurately.
(b) It is unlawful for a taxicab driver, while carrying passengers, to display the flag or the device attached to the taximeter in such position as to denote that the vehicle is for hire, to cause the taximeter to record when the vehicle is not actually employed, to fail to cause the device on the taximeter to be placed into a nonrecording position at the termination of each and every service, or to charge any fare other than that recorded on the taximeter.
(c) Taxicab service may be prearranged with the use of a mobile device application or internet online service. The fare charged shall not exceed the scheduled rate filed by the certificate holder under Section 4.42.200. The application or internet online service shall display the fare to the customer prior to booking in lieu of the posting as required under Section 4.42.200. An “application” shall mean a self- contained program or piece of software application designed to fulfill requests for dispatch services that is downloadable by a user to a computer or mobile device. Taxicabs providing prearranged service under this subsection are exempt from the taximeter requirements stated in subsections (a) and (b), but must calculate fares using a type of device or technology approved by the California Division of Measurement Standards that complies with California Business and Professions Code section 12500.5 and with all regulations established pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 12107.
(Ord. 5454 § 2 (part), 2018: Ord. 5429 § 1, 2018: Ord. 3286 § 1 (part), 1981)