The following definitions shall apply wherever used in this chapter:
(a) “Charter party trip” means the carriage of persons in one or more motor vehicles under a special contract for the exclusive use of each such vehicle for each trip, which contract shall not provide for continuing operations between the same termini and which in no event becomes regular. The limitations as to the seating capacity of such emergency or additional motor vehicles operated by a motor transportation company do not apply to charter party trips.
(b) “Fixed termini” refers to the points between which any motor transportation company usually or ordinarily operates, provides or proposes to operate or provide motor transportation service.
(c) “Irregular route” refers to that portion of the public street over which is conducted or provided any other operation of any motor vehicle by a motor transportation company transporting property. Whether or not any motor-propelled vehicle is operated or such transportation service is provided or furnished by such motor transportation company, between fixed termini or over a regular route, or over an irregular route, or whether or not a corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, person, firm or copartnership, or their lessees, trustees, or receivers or trustees appointed by any court, is engaged as a motor transportation company, are questions of fact. The findings of the Public Utilities Commission on such questions is a final order which may be reviewed. The Commission has jurisdiction to receive, hear and determine such questions upon complaint of any party, or upon its own motion, upon not less than fifteen days’ notice of the time and place of such hearing and of the matter to be heard.
(d) “Motor transportation company” or “common carrier by motor vehicle” includes every corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, person, firm or copartnership, and their lessees, legal or personal representatives, trustees, and receivers or trustees appointed by any court, when engaged or proposing to engage in the business of transporting persons or property, or the business of providing or furnishing such transportation service, for hire, whether directly or by lease or other arrangement, for the public in general, in or by motor-propelled vehicles of any kind, including trailers, over any public highway in this City. All laws regulating the business of motor transportation, their context notwithstanding, apply to such motor transportation company or common carrier by motor vehicle. The term “motor transportation company”, does not include any person, firm, copartnership, voluntary association, joint-stock association, company or corporation, wherever organized or incorporated:
(1) Engaged or proposing to engage as a private motor carrier;
(2) In so far as they own, control, operate or manage motor vehicles used for the transportation of persons or property, operated exclusively within the territorial limits of the City or within such limits and the territorial limits immediately contiguous to the City;
(3) In so far as they are engaged in the transportation of persons in taxicabs in the usual taxicab service or in hotel buses operating to and from hotels;
(4) Engaged in the transportation of pupils in school buses operating to or from school sessions or school events;
(5) Engaged in the transportation of farm supplies to the farm or farm products from farm to market or to food fabricating plants;
(6) Engaged in the distribution of newspapers;
(7) Engaged in the transportation of crude petroleum incidental to gathering from wells and delivery to destination by pipe line.
(e) “Motor vehicle” includes any automobile, automobile truck, tractor, trailer, semitrailer, motor bus or any other self-propelled vehicle not operated or driven upon fixed rails or tracks.
(f) “Private motor carrier” or “contract carrier by motor vehicle” includes every corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, person, firm or copartnership, their lessees, legal or personal representatives, trustees, or receivers or trustees appointed by any court, when engaged in the business of private carriage of persons or property, or both, or of providing or furnishing such transportation service, for hire, in or by motor-propelled vehicles of any kind, including trailers, over any public street in this City, but does not include any corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, person, firm or copartnership, their lessees, legal or personal representatives, trustees, or receivers or trustees appointed by any court:
(1) Engaged or proposing to engage, directly or indirectly, as a private owner or operator of motor vehicles employed or used by a private motor carrier, or by a motor transportation company;
(2) In so far as they are engaged in the transportation of persons or property, or both, exclusively within the territorial limits of the City or within such limits and the territorial limits immediately contiguous to the City;
(3) Engaged in the transportation of persons in taxicabs in the usual taxicab business or in hotel buses operating to and from hotels;
(4) Engaged in the transportation of pupils in school buses operating to or from school sessions or school events;
(5) Engaged, as a motor transportation company holding a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the transportation of persons, in the carriage of persons in emergency or additional motor vehicles on charter party trips to or from any municipal corporation or point on the route of such motor transportation company, or to or from any municipal corporation immediately contiguous to any such municipal corporation, on such route, provided that such use of such emergency or additional motor vehicle is reported and the tax paid as prescribed by the Public Utilities Commission by general rule or temporary order;
(6) Engaged in the transportation of farm supplies to the farm or farm products from farm to market;
(7) Engaged in the operation of motor vehicles for constructors on public road work;
(8) Engaged in the transportation of newspapers;
(9) Engaged in the transportation of crude petroleum incidental to gathering from wells and delivery to destination by pipe line.
(g) “Public street” means any public street, road or highway in this City.
(h) “Regular route” refers to that portion of the public street over which any motor transportation company usually or ordinarily operates, provides or proposes to operate or provide motor transportation service.
(i) “Trailer” means any vehicle without motive power designed or used for carrying property or persons and for being drawn by a separate motor-propelled vehicle, including any vehicle of the trailer type, whether designed or used for carrying property or persons wholly on its own structure, or so designed or used that a part of its own weight or the weight of its load rests upon and is carried by such motor-propelled vehicle.