Except as provided herein, 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 covered by this chapter over any street of the city for the purpose of transporting a passenger, or passengers, for compensation, regardless of whether such operation extends beyond the boundary limits of the city, without a permit first obtained from the city authorizing such operation. Said permit shall be in the immediate possession of every taxicab driver while operating a taxicab and shall be visible to all passengers within a taxicab. Exceptions to this section are as follows:
(A) A vehicle which is lawfully transporting a passenger or passengers from a point outside Taft city limits, to a destination within city limits, or is en route through this city to destination outside the city; provided, that no such vehicle shall, without such permit, solicit or accept a passenger, or passengers, from within Taft city limits for transportation to any destination whatsoever.
(B) A vehicle being operated pursuant to a franchise issued by the city, pursuant to authority of the public utilities commission of the state, or pursuant to regulations of the interstate commerce commission, unless authorized by law.
(C) A vehicle being operated for the purpose of transporting bona fide pupils attending an institution of learning between their homes and such institutions. (Ord. 710-04, 4-20-2004)