HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 483O DI CE OF
CI ¥ COL Z
THE CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS DOES ORDAIN:
Section 1. Definitions Unless otherwise expressly stated, when-
ever used in this ordinance, the following words shall have the meaning
given to them hy this section:
(a) The word "taxicab" shall mean and include any motor vehicle
engaged in the carrying of personw for hire, whether over an fixed route
or not, and whether the same be operated from a street stand or subject to
calls for a garage, or otherwise operated for hire; but the term shall
not include vehicles subject to control and regulation by the Railrod and
Warehouse Commission or vehicles regularly used by undertakers in carrying
on their businesse
(b) The word "street" shall mean and include any street, alley, avenue,
court, bridge, lane or public place in the City of Columbia Heights,
(c) The word "taxicab driver" shall mean and include any person who
drives a taxicab, whether such person be the owner of such taxicab or be
employed by a taxicab owner or operator.
(d) The word "operator" shall mean and include any person owning or
having control of the use of one or more taxicabs used for hire upon the
streets or engaged in the business of operating a taxicab within the City.
(e) The words "taxicab stand~ shall mean and include any place along
the curb or street or elsewhere which is exclusively reserved by the City
for the use Qf taxicabs.
(f) The word ~aximeter" shall mean and include any mechanical instrument
or device by which the charge for hire of a taxicab is mechanically calculated,
whether by distance traveled or by waiting time or by both, and upon which such
charge shall be indicated by figures.
(g) The word "person" shall mean and include natural persons, corporations,
partnerships and associations.
Section 2e. License Required. No operator shall operate a taxicab within
the City limits without first having obtained a taxicab license therefore ~uder
the provisions of this ordinance.
Each applicant for a taxicab license shall apply ~o the City Council for
such license upon a form t° be provided by the City, and must comply with the
~ollowing provisions to the s~isfaction of the ~ity Council, (a) Be a citizen of the United States.
and in the case of any co-partnership~ firm or corporation~ ~ust be author:~zed
to operate taxicabs and carry on business in accordance with the Laws of t]~e State
Of Minnesota,
(c) MuSt fill out upon the blank form provided by the City a statement
covering each vehicle to be so licensed, giving the full name and address
~he owner; the class and passenger-carrying capacity of each vehicle ~or which
a license is desired; the length of time the vehicle has been in use; the
make of car; the engine number; the serial number and the state license n~ber;
whether the same is mortgaged; also the holder of legal title to said
vehicle if other than the app£1cant; or whether said ~ehlcle is leased, ilcense~,
or under any form of contract permitted ~o be used and operated by some o~her
person ~hat the one holdin~ legal ~itle thereto, and wha~ person~fir~ or c~rpora-
tion collects the revenue from the operation of said taxicab and pays the
penses of operating the same.
If said application is made by an individual owner, it shall be signed and
sworn to by such owner; if it is by a partnership, then it shall be signed and
sworn to by one of the partners; and if by a corporation~ then by one of the
duly elected officials of said corporation.
(d) No person who, upon investigation, shall have had a license ~o operate
a ~a~icab revoked or cancellation of such a license in any o~her village or City
in the State of Minnesota, shall be granted a license to operate a taxicab in
the City of Columbia Heights.
(e) No person shall be granted a license to operate or drive a taxic~b
in ~he City of Columbia Heights without first having furnished %o the Poli¢~e
Department of said City such proof of citizenship and other data as they
require to complete a thorough inspection of ~he operator's or.driver's
record. No license to operate or drive a taxicab shall be granted by the City
Council of the Ci%y of Columbia Heights un~il such inspection report has been
furnished said Council by 2he Police Depart~en%.
Section ~o Licsnae Fees The applicant applying for a taxicab licensee
shall, before being issued said license, pay into the City Treasury a license
fee which is to be set yearly by resolution of the City Council~ City of Cc, 1-
umbia Heights, for each and every vehicle ~o be so licensed~ provided, thai; if
the said license is denied for any reason, the aforesaid license fee or fe~s
shall forthwith be returned te the applicant. All licenses hereunder shall
expire on the 31st day of December in each year. Any license may be trans~erred
during any year only upon the additional payment of a proportional part of the
fee by the transferree in addition to the regular fee paid by the transferor
when the license was issued, and upon approval of the City Council of such
transfer.
.Section ~... Examination of Taxicabs The licensees shall cause all cabs
licensed hereunder to be thorougly and carefully examined to determine tha~ the
said taxicab or taxicabs are in a thoroughly safe condition for the t~ansperta-
tion of passengers~ Such examination is to be made by an agency designated by
the Chief of Police of the City of Columbia Heights. The licensee shall submit
his certificate indicating the said condition of the vehicle involved to ~e
Chie~ ef Police quarterly. The taxicabs licensed hereunder must be kept in a
clean and good appearance and well painted.
The Chief cf Police may order further inspections of vehicles licensed as
taxicabs from time to time and may s~spend any licensed vehicle from service
as a taxicab which he may deem unsafe or unfit for such service. Cause for
such suspension shall be furnished t~e City Council cf the City ~f Columbi~
Heights by the Chief of Police at its next regular meeting. Any vehicle so
suspended from service as a taxicab shall not be returned to this service until
it has metwith all the reasonable requirements of the officer making such
spection. Any expense incurred by reason of the inspection of any licensed
vehicle shall be paid by the licensee of such vehicle.
Section ~ Granting License If the City Council is satisfied that the
public convenience and good order will be served thereby, it may grant a
license tc any such applicant. ~ach licehse granted shall be given a number
and shall give the number and an adequate description of the taxicabs licensed
thereunder.
Section 6. License Plates and Numbers. There shall be delivered to the
operator of each and every licensed taxicab a license tag to be fastened a~d
displayed upon e~ch and every taxicab so licensed, so that said license may be
plainly visible at all times. Said license tag shall bear the license number
of the taxicab and proper descriptive ~crds~ including the year for which
license was issued. In case any licensed operator shall lose a license tag,
he shall ~ecure a ~uplicate thereof by applying to the City Clerk and payiz~g
the sum of Two ($2.00) Dollars therefor before doing any further business ~ith
the taxicab from which the tag is lost.
Every taxicab which shall solicit or accept business on the streets of
this municipality, or stand or wait for hire shall have some designation ctf
the character of the vehicle painted in plain visible letters on each side~
thereefl
Section 7. Taxicab Cards, The operator ef any taxicab shall cause to
be printed in plain, legible letters displayed inside the taxicab a card
giving the number of the license, the maximum rates of are to be charged, and
a statement that any package or article left in the taxicab must be returz~ed
by the taxicab driver to the City Clerktm Office, where it may be identified
and claimed. The card shall also contain the statement, "Ask the Driver ~or
Bill and Receipt,~ in bold type.
SectionS. Rates~ Meters. Every licensed taxicab shall be~ipped with
a taximeter which shall at all times be kept accurate and in working condition
and shall be in plain view of the passenger. Ail taximet&rs shall be approved
by the Council, and eaO~ taximeter shall be sealed with case and gear intact.
Each licensee shall, semiannually, furnish the chief cf Police with a certifi-
cate certifying that the meter in each cab licensed hereunder has been checked
by a ~I~alified agenay certifying the accuracy of said meters. Such certifica-
tion is tc be done by an agency as designated by the Chief of Police of the
City cf Columbia Heights~ Rates charged for conveyance in taxicabs in this
City shall be fixed by resolution of the City Conncil annually. Every pas=
senger conveyed in the taxicabs licensed hereunder shall upon request be
given a receipt upon payment of his fare.
Section ~. Taxicab Stands. Licensed taxicabs shall, when not in use, be
parked at stands designated for that purpose from ti~e te time by resolution
cf the City Council. Said resolution shall also designate the number of taxi-
cabs which may be stationed at any such stand. Nc taxicab driver shall solicit
passengers asfares except when traveling around the streets or at a regularly
designated stand. No driver shall alight from his taxicab at any time for
the purpose o£ soliciting passengers; provided that this shall not prohibi'~
any driver from alighting from his cab te assist a passenger entering his ~axi-
cab or alighting therefrom. No taxicab shall park within thirty (30) feet of
any cross walk unless this portion of the street has been designated as a taxi-
cab stand. 0nly licensed taxicabs shall be permitted to park at any taxicab
Section 10 Taxicab Drivers,~ No person, either the operator or employee
of such operator, shall drive a taxicab in this city without first having
been licensed as a chauffeur under Section 2712, General Statutes of Hinne-
sots, 1923; and every driver shall display such chauffeur's license badge con-
spicuously upon his coat or cap as therein provided.
Section ll,t Insurance Policies~ Before a license shall be delivered to
any operator he shall deposit with the City Clerk a policy or policies of an
insurance company or companies duly licensed to transact scuh business in this
State, insuring the operator of any taxicab to he licensed against loss from
the liability imposed by law for damages on account of bodily injuries or death,
or for damages to property resulting from the ownership, maintenance or use of
~ny taxicab to be owned or operated under such license, and agreeing to pay to
any judgment credit or to the extent of the amounts specified in such policy,
any final judgment rendered against the assured by reason of such liability.
The policy or l~licies shall be approved by the City Attorney as to form and com-
pliance with this ordinance. The limit in any such insurance policy o£ such
taxicab shall not be less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) f,~r
bodily injuries to or death of one person and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00)
on account of any one accident resulting in injuries and/or death to more than
one person, and a total of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) liability for damages
to property of others, arising out of any one accident.
.~.ection 12.. Miscel,lane~us
(a) Ail taxicab drivers shall be clean and courteous at all times.
(b) No driver of any licensed tamicab shall carry any other than the
passenger first employing a taxicab without the consent of sach passenger.
(c) No person shall charge or. attempt to charge any passenger a greater
rate of fare than that to which the taxicabbis entitled under the resolution
of the Council,
(d) No taxicab driver shall deceive any passenger who may ride with him,
or who may desire to ride in any such vehicle, as to his de~tinatien or distance
traveled or to be traveled.
(e) Every taxicab shall be provided with windows_~_ !lL :~*-:~--~:sufficient
in number and of such size and dimensions that a~ all times persons may be readily
seen through such windows with sufficient distinctness to identify such person.
Section 1~. Separability. Every section, provision or part of this
ordinance is declared separable from every other section, provision or
part, and if any section, provision or part o£ this ordinance shall be
held invalid, it shall not affect aay other section, provision or par%
thereof.
Section 1~ Penalty. Any person violating %he provisions of this
ordinance shall be g~iliy of a misdemeanor and shall upon convic%ion thereof
be punished by a fine of not more than One Hundred ($100o00) Dollars or by
imprisonment for no% more %ban ninety (90) days or by both, for such offense.
Section 1~ Repeal Inconsis%ent provisions of any previous ordinances
are hereby repealed.
Section 16, Time of Taking Effec%[ This ordinance shall iake effec%
thirty (30) days from and after its passage.
assed: First Reading: February 8, 1960
Second Reading: February 23,1960
~ffered by: King
Seconded by: Orendorff
Roll Call: Roll Call - All Ayes.
Ayes:
Nays: