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ORDINANCE NO 13,798
AN ORDINANCE REPEALING §§ 23-1(a) , 23-2.1, 23-2.2,
23-2.9, 23-3.5 AND 23-3.6; AND ' . a PING ALL SECTIONS
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, §§ 23-2, 23-2.3, 23-3,
23-3.1, 23-3.2, 23-3.3, 23-3.8 AND 23-3.9 OF THE
LITTLE ROCK CODE OF ORDINANCES; AND DECLARING AN
D me ENCY. (TAXICAB ORDINANCE)
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.
SECTION 1. That the Little Rock Code of Ordinances, §§ 23-1(a) ,
23-2.1, 23-2.2, 23-2.9, 23-3.5 and 23-3.6 are hereby repealed.
SECTION 2. That all Sections of the Code of Ordinances of
the City of Little Rock, Arkansas , are amended to substitute the words
"taxicab permit" for the words "Certificate" or "Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity."
SECTION 3. That §23-2 of the Code of Ordinances of the City
of Little Rock, Arkansas , is hereby amended to read as follows:
I. Authority of the City Manager's Office.
(a) The City Manager or a designated agent shall have
jurisdiction over the recommendations for grant-
ing or denying taxicab permits .
(b) Rules and regulations with respect to regulating
the industry and conducting business shall be
developed and utilized in all matters. Such
rules and regulations will deal with, but shall not
be limited to, the operation and maintenance of
taxicabs, safety equipment, the keeping of a mani-
fest, the providing of services, the loading and
unloading of passengers , and the holding of hear-
ings.
II. Taxicab permit
(a) Required. No person shall operate or permit a taxi-
cab owned, leased or controlled by him or her to be
operated as a vehicle for hire upon the streets of
Little Rock without having first obtained a taxicab
permit. The taxicab permit shall be issued for a
one-year period.
(b) It is hereby declared to be a violation of this
article for a person to display a sign reading "Taxi,"
"Taxicab" or anything similar, if such person is not
licensed under this ordinance.
(c) Application for A Taxicab Permit. No later than ten
(10) days after receipt of an application for a Taxi-
cab Permit, the City Manager or the designated agent
shall take action on such application.
III . General Provisions . Before any taxicab permit is issued
for operation of a taxicab, the owner shill meet with the
following provisions :
(a) Every person operating more than one taxicab within
the City shall maintain a fixed place of business
to be approved by the City Manager. All persons not
having a fixed place of business shall use their home
address as their place of business for service of
process and other legal matters .
(b) Each owner is required to notify the City Manager ' s
Office immediately upon change of business address .
Failure to so notify is grounds for immediate revocation
of such taxicab permit .
(c) Each taxicab operating on the streets , alleys , and
public ways of the City of Little Rock shall at all
times meet with all safety standards required by State
and Federal law.
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(d) No taxicab shall be operated on or over the streets ,
alleys , or public ways of the City of Little Rock until
inspected and approved by the City Manager, showing
that such taxicab complies with the provisions of this
ordinance (Articles I and II) . Such approval shall be
registered with the City of Little Rock . The City
Manager or designated representative is authorized to
make spot inspections of such vehicles at any time as
may be desired. In the event that any taxicab operated
on or over the streets of Little Rock does not comply
with the provisions of this ordinance (Articles I and
II) , a hearing will be called to determine if the taxi-
cab permit should be revoked or suspended.
(e) Insurance . Before any taxicab permit is issued for the
operation of such cab , the owner shall file with the
City Manager or designated agent a copy of a policy of
insurance issued by some good and solvent incorporated
insurance company licensed to (10 business in the State
of Arkansas , covering separately , or on a schedule
attached to such policy , each taxicab to be operated
under the direction of such owner. Such owner is re-
quired to maintain a policy in accordance with Arkansas
law. The monetary amounts required by the City of
Little Rock will be $100 , 000/$250 , 000 . This section
does not apply to any company that qualifies as a self-
insurer under the provisions of Ark . Stat . Ann. Section
75- 1488 . Each insurance company and owner is required
to notify the City upon lapse or cancellation of such
policy. Upon the lapse of such policy , the taxicab
permit granted to such owner is automatically revoked
as the date the insurance ceases to be in effect ; and
it will thereafter be unlawful to operate such taxicab
upon the streets , public ways , or alleys of the City of
Little Rock . Each owner will have the option as allowed
under Ark . Stat . Ann. Section 75- 203 to post a bond in
lieu of insurance .
(f) Identification . The City Manager shall allocate a
sequence of numbers to each company and operator for
the purpose of identifying all cabs . From that sequence ,
a company shall allocate a number to each of its vehicles .
This number shall be at least five (5) inches in height ;
letters of the company name shall be at least one and
three-quarters (1 3/4 ) inches in height . Both the number
and name of Cie company shall be permanently affixed to
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the taxicab , in contrasting colors , so long as the
vehicle is part of a company fleet . Each independently
owned cab vehicle must state that it is an independently
operated taxicab.
(g) Transfer of Taxicab Permit . No taxicab permit granted
under this section may be sold , assigned, transferred,
leased, or mortgaged.
(h) Application and Iees . Application for taxicab permits
shall be filed with the City Manager or designated agent .
The application shall contain information as required
and shall be accompanied by a fee as required by the
license and privilege tax. Such fee will be a one
hundred and fifty dollar ($150 . 00) base charge plus a
fifteen dollar ($15 . 00) per vehicle charge.
(i) Criteria. The City Manager or agent at its hearing shall
take into consideration many factors . Such factors are :
(1) Financial responsibility of applicant .
(2) Moral character.
(3) Number of vehicles to be operated.
(4) Make , model , type and ownership of vehicle or
vehicles to be used.
(5) Color scheme to be used.
(6) Effect of additional vehicles upon the traffic
congestion, vehicular and pedestrian alike .
(7) Whether taxes have been paid when due .
(8) Whether the applicant proposes to own , rent or
lease some other vehicles to be used in operating
such service .
(9) Total number of taxicab permits in operation .
(10) Whether the requirements of public convenience
and necessity can be met and complied with only
by the issuance of additional permits .
(11 ) The resulting effect upon the business of existing
permit holders and upon existing agencies of mass
transportation in the City.
(12) The stipulation that the applicant will operate
and continue to operate during the bona fide time
that the taxicab permit shall remain in effect .
(13) Any other factors deemed relevant .
IV. Taxicab Driver' s Permit .
(a) No person shall operate a taxicab for hire upon the
streets of Little Rock , and no person who owns or con-
trols a taxicab shall permit it to be so driven at any
time for hire , unless the driver of said taxicab shall
have first obtained and shall then have in force a
taxicab driver ' s permit issued under provisions of this
section. The taxicab driver' s permit will be issued
for one year.
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(b) Qualifications . No taxicab driver ' s permit shall be
granted unless the applicant has a chauffeur- for-hire
license under Arkansas traCC.ic laws . It shall be the
duty of each driver to he clean and neat in appearance
while in the custody of the taxicab .
(c) Application. Any person desiring a taxicab driver' s
permit shall , under oath , apply in writing to the City
Manager or a designated agent . Such application shall
be developed by the City Manager or the designated
agent and shall include , but not be limited to , the
age , name , and address of the applicant .
(1) Photographs . Each applicant shall file with the
City Manager or agent two (2) photographs not more
than one year old , size two and one-half inches
(2 1/2") by two and three- fourth inches (2 3/4") .
(2) It is the responsibility of the individual driver
and not the taxicab company to file the photograph
with the application ..
(3) When the application is approved , a taxicab
driver ' s permit shall be issued in card form
designed by the agent or City Manager. The photo-
graph of the driver shall be attached to the card.
Each driver will be given a taxicab driver ' s permit
number which will be on such permit .
(4) Fee . A fee of five dollars ($5 . 00) shall be paid
to the City of Little Rock at the time the original
application is filed .
(5) Acknowledgement of application . The applicant
shall acknowledge with any application that he or
she understands that the taxicab driver ' s permit ,
if granted, will be for a specific period of time
not to exceed one year' and that no rights or pri-
vileges extend past the term of the permit .
(d) Investigation . The City Manager or the designated agent
shall develop rules and regulations with respect to the
investigation and issuance of a taxicab driver ' s permit .
Certain criteria shall be used in order to determine if
a person is physically or morally fit to . drive or operate
a taxicab in the City of Little Rock .
(e) Bars to Issuance . A taxicab driver ' s permit shall not
be issued if the applicant has been convicted of:
(1) Manslaughter, or negligent homicide , resulting
from the operation of a motor vehicle .
(2) Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence
of intoxicating liquor or drugs . For purpose of
this section a nolo contendere shall be considered
a conviction . However, any conviction under this
subsection shall not be a bar to issuance of a
taxicab driver ' s permit if the conviction occurred
more than five (5) years prior to the date of
application , or upon recommendation of the City
Manager, if the conviction occurred more than
three (3) years from the date of application for a
taxicab driver ' s permit .
(3) Any felony in the commission of which a motor
vehicle was used.
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(4) Failure to stop and render aid as required under
the laws of this State , or leaving the scene of
• an accident NS specified by the I .iws of th i s State .
(5) Perjury or false swearing in making any statement
under oath in connection with the application for
a taxicab driver ' s permit .
(6) Any law involving violence , theft or any form of
stealing , or any crime involving moral turpitude
that is reasonably related to the permit , within
five (5) years preceding the filing of the appli -
cation for this permit .
(7) Possession by a driver within the taxicab of beer,
whiskey or wine , or drugs or other stimulants not
specifically prescribed for the driver , or of
lottery tickets , gambling equipment or parapher-
nalia , stolen goods or any contraband property of
any kind.
V. Unlawful to Solicit or Take Passengers from Bus Stops .
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation
licensed or authorized to drive or operate a taxicab
or taxicabs on the streets of Little Rock to solicit
any person or persons in a passenger zone awaiting
transportation by any bus operated by the City of
Little Rock.
VI . Use of Scanner Prohibited; Monitoring of Other Companies
Calls Prohibited .
The use of scanners and the monitoring of other companies '
calls is hereby prohibited.
VII . Emergency Revocation; Grounds for Revocation or Suspension
of Permit .
The City Manager or designated agent has the power to
automatically revoke a taxicab permit or driver ' s
permit in the case of an emergency. He or she also has
the power to obtain an injunction in the event of such
emergency. The City Manager or designated agent shall
hold hearings to revoke or suspend a driver ' s permit
and to recommend the revocation or suspension of a taxicab
permit to the Board of Directors . Such action may be
taken for ,but shall not be limited to , violation of rules
and regulation as developed by the City Manager or
designated agent , violations of ordinances , criminal
laws of the State of Arkansas , or the laws of the United
States .
SECTION 4. That Section 23-2 . 3 of the Code of Ordinances of
the City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as
follows :
All persons engaged in the taxicab business in the City of
Rock shall answer all calls received by them for services
inside the corporate limits of Little Rock as soon as they can
do so and , if said services cannot be rendered within a
reasonable time, they shall then notify the prospective
passengers how long it will be before the said call can be
answered and give the reason therefor . Any holder who refuses
to accept a call anywhere in the corporate limits at any time
the holder has available taxicabs or fails or refuses to pro-
vide the best quality taxicab service shall be deemed to have
failed to satisfy the public convenience or necessity requirements
of the taxicab permit issued to such holder. Any holder failing
to provide the services herein set forth may be required to appear
before the City Manager or designated agent to show cause why such
permit should not be revoked or suspended.
SECTION 5. That Section 23-3 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as follows :
Zones and Rate Schedule Chart to be Displayed.
Each taxicab shall display a zone map, a chart of zone rates ,
and there shall be displayed in a suitable frame in the
passenger compartment of each taxicab in such a position as to
be in front of and clearly visible to passengers, a card on
which shall be shown a legible and understandable schedule
of rates as fixed by the Board of Directors. The card shall be
identical in all respects with that approved by the City Manager
or a designated agent and an approved card shall be available
in the office of the City Manager or designated agent.
The responsibility for display of a rate chart in each and
every taxicab shall lay with the company, or in the event
of an individual cab company with that individual.
There shall be displayed on both sides of the vehicle,
in such a manner as to be seen from the exterior of such
taxicab, signs giving a description of the rates required
by the Board of Directors. The said signs are to be identical
in all respects with those approved by the City Manager or
designated agent. No signs or other matters shall be affixed
to the windshield or windows except such as may be authorized
by the City Manager or designated agent.
Zone rates shall be used exclusively by all taxicabs.
SECTION 6. That Section 23-3 . 1 of the Code of Ordinances of
the City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as
follows :
(a) Zone fares for taxicab service in the City of Little Rock
shall not exceed one dollar ($1 . 00) .
(b) Zone fares for taxicab service shall not exceed sixty
cents ($0 . 60) within and between each of the zones in
addition to the first zone.
SECTION 7 . That Section 23-3 . 2 of the Code of Ordinances of
the City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as
follows:
Any person, firm, or corporation accepting a fare for taxicab
service in the City shall give to the person paying the fare,
upon request, a receipt evidencing the payment of such fare,
the date thereof, and the signature of the person to whom the
fare is paid.
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An additional charge of twenty- five cents ($ . 25) may he made
for each passenger who is more than seven (7) years of age and
who is the member of a business or social group on a joint
mission with the person paying the fare .
A charge of twenty - five cents ($ . 25) may be made for the dis -
missal of a taxicab which has responded to a telephone call .
A charge of $1 . 00 may be made for each portion of 10 minutes of
. waiting time the vehicle for hire is required to make at the
request of the passenger . A maximum charge of $6. 00 an hour
shall be in effect . No additional charge shall be required for
baggage .
SECTION 8 . That Section 23- 3. 3 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Little Rock , Arkansas is hereby amended to read as follows :
The holder of a valid taxicab permit to operate and operating
taxicabs in the City may file with the City Manager or designated
agent an application for an increase in the number of taxicabs
operated by such holder, which application shall set forth :
(1) That the applicant is in compliance with the statutes of
• the State of Arkansas , the ordinances , rules and regulations
of the City of Little Rock pertaining to the operation of
taxicabs .
(2) The number of taxicabs operated by applicant .
(3) The number of additional taxicabs requested by applicant .
(4) The facts which constitute public convenience and necessity
justifying the additional service .
Upon the filing of such application, a hearing on the appli-
cation shall be conducted by the City Manager or designated
agent . All persons interested in Or affected by such appli-
cation may appear in person or by representatives at such
hearing and introduce evidence and be heard in support of or
in opposition to such application. The City Manager or
designated agent shall make a recommendation to the Board of
Directors on the application .
SECTION 9. That Section 23- 3. 8 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as follows :
Rates for trips originating at Little Rock Municipal Airport shall
be as follows :
Regular zone rate for first passenger and one dollar ($1 . 00) for
each additional passenger.
This rate shall not apply to trips terminating at the Little Rock
Municipal Airport.
SECTION 10 . That Section 23- 3. 9 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Little Rock, Arkansas is hereby amended to read as follows :
Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions
of the Taxicab Ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor ,
and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less
than twenty- five dollars ($25 . 00) nor more than two hundred and
fifty dollars ($250 . 00) , except where another or different fine
is prescribed for the violation of some specific section hereof.
A second violation within a twelve-month period shall result in
a minimum fine of not less than $ 75 . 00 . Each subsequent violation
within a twelve-month period would be an additional fine of
not less than $ 75. 00 .
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SECTION 11. Severability. The subsections , paragraphs, sentences,
clauses and phrases of the Taxicab Ordinance are severable, and if any phrase,
clause, sentence, paragraph or subsection of the Ordinance shall be declared
unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent
jurisdiction, that unconstitutionality shall not effect any of the remaining
phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs or subsections of the Ordinance
since they would have been enacted without the incorporation in the
Ordinance of the unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph,
or subsection.
SECTION 12. Declaring an Emergency. Because there is need to
provide the citizens of the City of Little Rock with adequate taxicab
service, and the previous Ordinance did not meet the needs of the citizens
and because this Ordinance will alleviate those problems, an emergency
is declared to exist. This Ordinance is found to be necessary for the
public peace, health and safety of the public. This Ordinance shall be
in full force and effect on March 1, 1980.
PASSED: February 27 , 1980
ATTEST: (t;41,q,e, (1,;(,,a4// APPROVED: /�
City Clerk Mayor
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