HomeMy Public PortalAbout023-1997 - General Ordinance - Amends Chapter 119 of the City Code (Taxi cabs)ORDINANCE NO. 23-1997
A GENERAL ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 119 OF THE CITY OF
RICHMOND CODE
WHEREAS, on November 18, 1996, Common Council of the City of Richmond,
Indiana revised Chapter 119 of the City of Richmond Code regulating the
operation of taxicabs within the City (Ordinance No. 112-1996); and
WHEREAS, minor revisions to said Chapter are necessary to ensure that the regulation of
taxicabs within the City is accomplished as efficiently and effectively as
possible while ensuring the continued safety of the citizens of the City and
others who utilize taxicab services within the City.
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 are hereby amended to read as follows:
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. 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 City
Controller's Office, 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 inspection emblem 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) 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 AND LICENSE FEES FOR VEHICLES
(a) The applicant, on presentation of the application to operate a taxicab service, a
certificate of mechanical inspection for each taxicab, and proof of insurance for each
taxicab, shall purchase a license for each taxicab covered by the application from the City
Controller. 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.
(b) 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 proof of insurance for each taxicab. 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 presentation of a valid taxicab license for each vehicle, the Traffic Division of the
Richmond Police Department shall issue to the applicant an appropriate emblem certifying
inspection for each vehicle. The emblem will be valid for one year, shall be displayed in
the interior right hand corner of the front windshield, and shall have four spaces on the
back 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. 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.
119.14 APPLICATION FOR DRIVER'S LICENSE
Every person desiring to drive a taxicab in the City shall, before undertaking to do so, file
with the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department an application in writing for a
taxicab driver's license, sworn to by the applicant and including the following:
(a) The name and address of applicant
(b) The address of each place of residence of the applicant during the three
years prior to the date of the application
(c) The place of employment, the kind of employment, and the name of each
employer of applicant for the two years immediately preceding the date of the
application
(d) The age and sex of applicant
(e) Applicant's experience in general motor vehicle operation
(f) Whether or not applicant has ever been convicted in any court or any crime
or misdemeanor, and if so, the facts concerning each conviction
(g) Whether or not the applicant uses intoxicating liquors
(h) Applicant's state chauffeur license number
(i) On the face of the application, a certificate of the Police Chief that the
applicant has been examined as to his ability to drive a motor vehicle, the traffic
ordinances of the City, and the traffic laws of the state, and as to conviction of any
crime or misdemeanor and that in the opinion of the officer, the applicant is a fit and
proper person to receive a taxicab driver's license (`72 Code, 37.14) (Ord. 11053-
1959)
Passed and adopted this L1 day 6f 1997, by the Common Council of
the City of Richmond, Indiana.
)eA440;
President
(Robert Dickman)
ATTEST: ! Lj--City Clerk
(Norma Schroeder)
SE D to the Mayor of the City of Richmond, Indiana, this A21-day of
u_ , 1997, at 9:00 a.m.
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CITY OF RICHMOND
DEPARTMENT OF LAW
50 NORTH FIFTH STREET•RICHMOND, INDIANA 47374
PHONE (317) 983-7220•FAX (317) 962-7024
March 4, 1997
Common Council
City of Richmond, Indiana
Dear Council member:
DENNIS ANDREWS
Mayor
ROBERT L. BEVER
City Attorney
STEPHEN H.RABE
Assistant City Attorney
In your packet you will find Ordinance No. 23-1997 again
amending the Chapter of City Code regulating taxicabs. As
you will recall, this chapter was substantially revised by
Council last fall. Upon implementing the revisions made last
fall, the Police Department and the Controller's Office found
that additional revision of this Chapter would be desirable
to ensure efficient implementation thereof. The changes that
would be made by Ordinance No. 23-1997 are as follows:
1. The Traffic Division of the Richmond Police
Department would no longer certify on the taxicab license
that it has been inspected four times each year, but would
instead initial the back of the inspection emblem attached to
the windshield.
2. Inspection emblems would now be issued by the
Traffic Division of the Richmond Police Department rather
than the City Controller.
3. Applications for a taxicab driver's license would
now be filed with the Traffic Division of the Richmond Police
Department rather than the City Controller's Office.
4. Certificates of Mechanical Inspection would now be
provided by the City Controller's Office, where they must be
filed.
It was felt that inspection emblems and applications for
taxicab driver's licenses should be filed with the Police
Department, since the Police Department is responsible for
inspecting said taxicabs and evaluating applicants for
taxicab driver's licenses. Because a Certificate of
Mechanical Inspection must be filed with the City
Controller's Officer for each taxicab in order to receive an
annual license for that taxicab, the City Controller's
Officer requested that they provide said Certificates of
Mechanical Inspection.
Finally, the Police Department suggested that an Officer
initial the back of the inspection emblem affixed to the
windshield of each taxicab after it is inspected rather than
initialing the back of the taxicab license. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me at your
convenience.
Very truly yours,
--�-�Al�
Stephen H. Rabe
Assistant City Attorney
SHR/mlb