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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. rk ..w a' i ATTEST O F R I C y { MO o /"01 At"' 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