HomeMy Public PortalAbout112-1996- GENERAL ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 119 OF THE CITY OFORDINANCE NO. 112-1996
A GENERAL ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 119 OF THE CITY OF
RICHMOND CODE
WHEREAS, Chapter 119 of the City of Richmond Code regulates the operation of
taxicabs and taxicab companies within the City; and
WHEREAS, it is desirable to update said Chapter to provide for the safety and well-being
of the citizens of and visitors to the City of Richmond.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Common Council of the City of
Richmond, Indiana that the following sections of Chapter 119 of the City of Richmond
Code shall be amended to read as follows:
119.01 DEFINITION
For purposes of this chapter, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly
indicates or requires a different meaning.
"TAXICAB" - Every motor driven vehicle used within the city for public hire and carrying
passengers for hire, along or over public streets in the city, the destination or route of
which is under the direction of a passenger transported therein. This shall include any
shuttle or limousine service operated within the city.
119.02 REGULATIONS APPLICABLE
No person shall drive, stand, or park any taxicab on any street except in accordance with
the conditions established by this chapter.
119.03 LICENSE REQUIRED
No person shall operate a taxicab service on any street in the city without first securing a
license to do so.
119.04 APPLICATION FOR LICENSES
(a) Any person desiring to operate a taxicab service shall, before providing the service, file
With the City Controller a written signed application for a license, sworn to by the
applicant, which application shall show the following:
(1) The name of the person, partnership, firm, or corporation desiring the
license; if a firm, the full names of each of the partners;
(2) The place of residence and principal place of business of the applicant;
(3) That the applicant intends to and will, if issued a license to do so, operate
the taxicabs as shall be necessary in the service and that he owns and is the sole
owner of the described taxicabs, and intends to and will operate the taxicabs in such
service;
(4) The age, sex, and the residence of each person who will drive a taxicab for
the applicant;
(5) The make, model, and serial number of each vehicle which will be operated
by the taxicab service; and
(6) The location and address of the office of the applicant.
(b) Each taxicab to be operated within the city must be licensed annually. The license shall
be issued by the City Controller after payment of a fee and presentation of proof of
insurance and mechanical inspection as required by this chapter. The license shall contain
the make, model, and serial number of the taxicab and shall have four spaces for a member
of the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department to certify that the taxicab has
passed the safety inspections required by this chapter. Each license shall be valid for the
calendar year and must be carried in the taxicab at all times.
119.05 MECHANICAL AND SAFETY INSPECTIONS
(a) In addition to providing an application properly executed, each applicant shall
present a Certificate of Mechanical Inspection for each taxicab, to be provided by the
Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department, certifying that each of the applicant's
vehicles has been inspected by a mechanic licensed by the State of Indiana and found to be
mechanically safe. Said mechanic must be selected from an approved list maintained by the
Police Department. Each taxicab must pass such an inspection annually before a license
will be given to operate said taxicab.
(b) Each taxicab shall be inspected for safety a minimum of four (4) times each year at
times designated by the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department. It shall be
certified on the license for each taxicab that the taxicab was inspected by a member of the
Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department and was found:
(1) Equipped with safe tires;
(2) Equipped so that all its operating and functional parts are in proper working
order;
(3) Equipped with any additional necessary safety devices such as hand brakes,
rear view mirror, turn signals, safety glass, horns, and so forth;
(4) In a clean and sanitary condition;
(5) Seats and interior in a good state of repair so as not to cause injury or
damage to any passenger or his property; and
(6) Clearly marked as required by this chapter.
(c) Failure to present the taxicab license upon request by a member of the Traffic
Division of the Richmond Police Department shall subject both the driver and the taxicab
company to fines as set forth in this Chapter.
(d) Each taxicab must at all times be maintained in a safe condition as set forth above.
Should any taxicab fail to meet these criteria at any time, it shall be immediately removed
from service until properly repaired by a licensed mechanic and re -inspected by a member
of the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department. Failure to meet these criteria
shall subject the taxicab company to fines as set forth in this Chapter.
119.06 LICENSE FEES FOR VEHICLES
The applicant, on presentation of the application to operate a taxicab service and of a
certificate of mechanical inspection for each taxicab, shall purchase a license for each
taxicab covered by the application from the City Controller. The license fee for each
taxicab for the calendar year shall be $75. This fee must thereafter be paid annually and
must be presented with a certificate of mechanical inspection and the properly certified
license from the previous year. This fee shall be pro -rated on a monthly basis for any
taxicabs brought into service during the calendar year.
119.07 ISSUANCE AND DISPLAY OF INSPECTION EMBLEM
Upon payment of the annual license fee for each taxicab and the presentation of appropriate
certificate(s) of inspection and proof of insurance as required by this chapter, the City
Controller shall issue to the applicant an appropriate emblem certifying inspection for each
vehicle covered by the application. The emblem will be valid for one year and shall be
displayed in the interior right hand corner of the front windshield. The emblem certifying
inspection on each licensed taxicab shall not be removed from the windshield except by a
member of the Traffic Division of the Police Department. The emblem shall be removed
and the taxicab license revoked immediately upon the failure of any taxicab to pass any
inspection. A new emblem must be issued and license fee paid before any taxicab that fails
an inspection can again be operated in the City.
119.09 ADDING VEHICLES TO THE FLEET
(a) No additional vehicle shall be added to or used by the holder of any license until he
has first reported the addition to the City controller, made application for a license for the
additional vehicle, paid the required fee, presented proof of insurance and mechanical
inspection as required by this chapter, and received the license and an inspection emblem.
(b) In the event of an emergency wherein extra taxicabs would be necessary for the
transportation of passengers and subject to the approval of the City Controller, temporary
operating permits, good for seven days from and including the date of issuance, may be
issued to the applicant on the proper application for and on the payment at the time of
application of a fee of five dollars ($5) for each temporary operating permit. This
temporary operating permit shall apply only to taxicab operators having already secured the
regular city license for operation of a taxicab service, provided that each vehicle has been
properly inspected as required by this chapter.
(c) In the event of any disaster or emergency such as flood, riot, war, evacuation or
any catastrophe, the City Controller shall have the right to suspend the foregoing
requirement for a temporary operating permit during the emergency.
119.12 USE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
No person shall drive a taxicab while intoxicated, or while consuming or having been
consuming any alcoholic beverages. No operator of a taxicab business shall permit any
person who is intoxicated, or who has been consuming alcoholic beverages or has the
smell or odor of alcoholic beverages on his breath to drive a taxicab. The same shall apply
to the use or possession of any controlled substance. A violation of this section shall
subject both the driver and the operator of the taxicab service to fines as set forth in this
chapter.
119.25 LIABILITY INSURANCE
No license shall be issued and no taxicab shall be operated on any street in the city until
there has been filed with the City Controller an indemnity undertaking or policy of
insurance, executed by an insurance company authorized to execute the instruments in the
State of Indiana, and running for the year of the license to be issued to the applicant, all
subject to approval of the City Controller. The policy shall provide for the payment of any
final judgment that may be rendered against the insured for damages to property or for
bodily injury or death of passengers or other persons resulting from collision or other
accident for which the person may be found liable while operating the taxicab described in
the application, in a sum up to $1,000,000 per accident.
119.29 TRANSFER OF LICENSE
(a) In the event a taxicab service is sold or transferred to a new owner, the license to
operate said taxicab service shall be transferred to the new owner upon the following:
(1) the filing with the City Controller of a written signed application to transfer
a license; and
(2) the payment of all taxicab license transfers fees as set forth in subsection (c).
(b) The application to transfer a license to operate a taxicab service shall be sworn to by
the applicant and shall contain the following:
(1) The name of the person, partnership, firm, or corporation desiring the
license; if a firm, the full names of each of the partners;
(2) The name of the person, partnership, firm, or corporation transferring the
license; if a firm, the full names of each of the partners;
(3) The place of residence and principal place of business of the applicant;
(4) That the applicant intends to and will, if issued a license to do so, operate
the taxicabs as shall be necessary in the service and that he owns and is the sole
owner of the described taxicabs, and intends to and will operate the taxicabs in such
service;
(5) The age, sex, and the residence of each person who will drive a taxicab for
the applicant;
(6) The make, model, and serial number of each vehicle for which a license is
applied; and
(7) The location and address of the office of the applicant.
(c) All existing taxicab licenses shall be transferred to the new owner upon payment of
a ten dollar ($10.00) transfer fee for each vehicle. This fee must be paid before any license
will be transferred under this section. Annual license fees shall thereafter be assessed
pursuant to Section 119.06.
119.30 MARKINGS
(a) All taxicabs operated within the City of Richmond shall be clearly marked with the
name and phone number of the taxicab company on both the driver's side and passenger
side front doors in permanent lettering no smaller than five (5) inches.
(b) Stretched limousines shall be exempt from this section.
119.31 FINES AND REMOVAL OF TAXICABS FROM SERVICE
Unless a section provides otherwise, any violations of this chapter shall result in a fine in
the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) being assessed against the taxicab company
(and/or the driver as authorized in this chapter). Any taxicab that is found not to be in
compliance with any of the provisions of this chapter shall be immediately removed from
service and may not be operated again within the city until such time as said taxicab is
certified by a member of the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department to be in
full compliance with this chapter.
Passed and adopted this day f 1996, by the Common Council of
the City of Richmond, Indiana.
esident
(Geneva Allen)
ATTES City Clerk
(Norma S hroeder)
Q&
RESE D to the Mayor of the City of Richmond, Indiana, this day of
1996, at 9:00 a.m.
City Clerk
(Norm chroeder)
this
A
Mayor
w
DISPOSITION OF ORDINANCE NO. - 19 /�
RESOLUTION NO. - 19
by Common Council
Ordinance No. � U
Resolution 7N.
Dat'
Elstro
Lundy
Wissel
Stamper
Welch
Parker
Aller
Dickman
Hutton
Susp. rules 1st reading
Title Only
Secorxi
Move to 2nd reading
Second
Engrossment
Second
E
I
Susp.rules 3rd reading
Second
Passage
Rejection
Date Passed —
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:
Committee Date