No person shall drive, operate, or cause to be operated, nor shall any person employ, permit, or allow another to drive, operate, or cause to be operated, any vehicle over any street of this city for the purpose of transporting a passenger for compensation, regardless of whether such operation extends beyond the boundary limits of the city; nor shall any person solicit, induce, persuade, invite, or procure such transportation of passengers for compensation or accept compensation therefor without a permit first having been obtained from the city council authorizing such operations and acts except as follows:
A. A vehicle which is lawfully transporting a passenger from a point outside to a destination within this city, or which is enroute to a destination outside this city; provided, that no such vehicle shall, without such permit, solicit or accept a passenger from within this city for transportation to any destination whatsoever;
B. A vehicle being operated pursuant to a franchise, contract, or permit issued by the city, and vehicles operated by city or state public agencies, including dial-a-taxi, dial-a-lift, and fixed-route buses, provided that the city council may, by resolution, establish fares for such services and shall establish appropriate regulations and standards within the franchise, contract, or permit;
C. A vehicle being operated for the purpose of transporting bona fide pupils attending an institution of learning between their homes and such institutions;
D. A vehicle being operated under what is commonly referred to as a "share the ride" plan or arrangement, where a person enroute from his place of residence to his place of business, or vice versa, transports another person living and working in the same general vicinity upon payment of a sum estimated to cover the actual or approximate cost of operation of the vehicle;
E. Vehicles being used as ambulances and being operated by any public agency;
F. Vehicles rented or leased for self-operation by a person using such vehicle under a plan commonly known as a U-drive, but not when transporting other persons for compensation.
(Ord. 96-10-1213 § 2; Ord. 84-06-924 § 2: prior code § 5.28.140 (Ord. 309 § 2, 1948))