No person, either as an owner of a public vehicle or as an agent, employee or driver for, or lessee of, such owner shall operate or permit to be operated any vehicle as a public vehicle or shall proffer the services of such vehicle as a public vehicle by solicitation by voice, sign, public advertisement, light or otherwise, unless the proper license has been issued to the owner thereof and is in force.
Every license shall expire on December 31 of the year for which it is issued. A license fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each public vehicle shall be payable to the Clerk of Council. However, if a license is issued on or after July 1 of any year, the fee therefor shall be one-half the applicable annual fee. The license fee required by this section shall be in addition to any fee required by the laws of the State.