Taxicab owners and operators shall continuously comply with the following standards and requirements.
(1) The name of the company or owner shall be clearly and visibly displayed on both sides of the vehicle, along with the company telephone number.
(2) Rates and fares shall be clearly and visibly displayed within the taxicab or shall be provided to customers in writing. If the rate or fare is based on mileage, the customer must be given a reasonable opportunity to verify the mileage, by observation of a meter or of the vehicle odometer.
(3) The driver's name and driver's license number shall be clearly and legibly displayed within the taxicab or shall be provided to customers in writing.
(4) A daily manifest shall be kept by the driver of each taxicab and shall be available for inspection, by the taxicab inspector and/or law enforcement officers, in the owner's possession for a period of at least one (1) year.
(5) The owner shall apply for and obtain a current business privilege license for conducting a taxicab business within the town.
(6) The owner shall maintain a policy of liability and property damage insurance for each taxicab with at least the following levels of coverage: death or injury to one (1) person per accident, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00); death or injury to more than one (1) person in an accident, three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00); property damage in one (1) accident, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00). The owner shall also maintain uninsured motorist coverage in these amounts to protect passengers in the event of an accident involving an uninsured motorist.
(7) Taxicabs shall be kept reasonably clean and in safe operating condition at all times. The taxicab inspector shall conduct an inspection of each taxicab at least every six (6) months and shall have the right to enter and inspect a town-licensed taxicab at any reasonable time to insure that it complies with this article.
(8) Taxicab operators shall faithfully observe state and local traffic safety laws.
(9) Articles left in taxicabs shall be returned to their rightful owners, if known, or turned over to the taxicab inspector within twenty-four (24) hours.
(10) Taxicab certificate holders shall provide at all times an up-to-date schedule of rates and fares for their taxicab to the taxicab inspector.
(11) Accidents involving taxicabs shall be immediately reported to the relevant law enforcement jurisdiction, and reports of accidents involving taxicabs licensed by the town shall be submitted to the taxicab inspector.
(12) Owners shall carefully screen persons hired to be taxicab drivers, shall investigate the criminal and driving records of potential drivers, and shall not employ as drivers any person whose criminal or driving record indicates a significant risk that the safety or welfare of passengers might be jeopardized. Particular emphasis shall be placed on histories of driving while impaired, careless or reckless driving, multiple traffic violations, and crimes of violence, theft, or financial dishonesty. The names and criminal and driving records of taxicab drivers shall also be submitted to the taxicab inspector, and the taxicab inspector shall have the right to disqualify any person from driving a taxicab upon a finding that person's criminal or driving record indicates a significant risk to the safety or welfare of passengers.
(Ord. No. 2001-14, § 1, 5-1-01)