The following definitions shall be applied to terms used in the sections of this Title Three:
(a) "Director" means the Director of Public Safety or his or her designee.
(b) "Officer" means the Toledo Police Department Licensing and Collections Officer assigned to the Licensing Bureau of the Division of Taxation & Treasury.
(c) "Public vehicles" means all vehicles which use the public streets for the transportation of persons under expectation of compensation or reward in any form, which are hereby classified as:
(1) "Taxicabs" as defined in this chapter; and
(2) "Motor vehicles for hire/limousines" as defined in this chapter.
(3) Nothing herein shall apply to vehicles such as street railway cars and motor buses furnishing mass service (for fifteen or more persons), including those that move over fixed routes or on fixed schedules or between fixed termini, since all such vehicles are subject to state law and must be driven by state-licensed commercial drivers.
(4) Nothing herein shall apply to any vehicle operated by the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA), to any yellow school bus as defined by state law or to any courtesy shuttle, funeral car or other vehicle for which any reward or compensation is indirect versus direct.
(5) Nothing herein shall apply to any vehicle licensed by the State of Ohio as an ambulette, but only to the extent that such vehicle is operating in conformity with the State definition of ambulette service, to wit, "transporting persons who are seriously ill, injured or otherwise incapacitated or who require the use of a wheelchair or are confined to a wheelchair". Service provided by a State-licensed ambulette not meeting the aforementioned definition of ambulette service shall require licensing by the City as a motor vehicle for hire/limousine as defined herein.
(6) Nothing herein shall apply to any ambulance as defined by Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 707.
(d) "Taxicab" includes any public vehicle that seeks its business or a part thereof on public streets or in quasi-public places or is operated for hire on a per-trip basis pursuant to a pre-arranged contract for the transportation of passengers along a route under the control of the person hiring the vehicle, is driven by and is in the charge of the owner or his employee, is equipped with a taximeter as defined in this chapter, and carries thereon or therein any sign, marking or other indicia containing the word "taxi," "cab," "taxicab," or term of similar import.
(e) "Motor vehicle for hire/limousine" includes any public vehicle that is not equipped with a taximeter, is not marked as a taxicab, does not seek its business on the public streets or in quasi-public places, but is instead operated for hire pursuant to a pre-arranged contract for the transportation of passengers along a route under the control of the person hiring the vehicle and is driven by and is in the charge of the owner or his employee. Any non-taxicab public vehicle used for livery purposes, except a licensed horse-drawn carriage or pedicab or other vehicle meeting the exemptions heretofore defined is a "motor vehicle for hire/limousine."
(f) "Taximeter" includes any electronic, electrical or mechanical instrument or device by which the fare for a public vehicle is calculated based on measurement of actual distance traveled and time elapsed, and on which such charge amount is plainly indicated.
(g) Whenever the word "paint" or "painted" is used in this Public Vehicle Code, it shall mean the application of waterproof paint and/or adhesive vinyl decals and logos.
(h) "Public vehicle operator's license" means the license issued to an individual granting him the right to operate a public vehicle, which shall hereinafter be referred to as "license."
(i) "Public vehicle owner's permit" means the metered vehicle or luxury/limousine vehicle permit, medallion, sticker or metal tag issued to the owner by the Officer, which shall hereinafter be referred to as "permit."
(Ord. 304-08. Passed 10-7-08.)