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ORDINANCE NO 12,868
AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ARTICLES I AND II
OF CHAPTER 23 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES
PERTAINING TO THE OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
FOR HIRE, FARES, ZONES AND RELATED MATTERS
AND SUBSTITUTING IN LIEU THEREOF A NEW
ARTICLE I AND II PERTAINING TO THE SAME
SUBJECT MATTER; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.
SECTION 1. Articles I and II of Chapter 23 of the Code of
Ordinances pertaining to the operation of motor vehicles for
hire, fares, zones and other provisions related thereto is
hereby repealed and the following Articles I and II pertaining
to the same subject matter is enacted in lieu thereof:
ARTICLE I. OPERATION OF TAXICABS
SECTION 23 -1 Definitions.
A. Taxicab. The term taxicab as herein employed means a
motor driven vehicle having seating capacity not in excess of
seven (7) passengers and used for the transportation of persons
for hire and not operated over defined routes.
B. Company. Wherever used in this chapter the term company
shall be deemed to include any person, association, partnership,
corporation, or other organization owning or operating or pro-
posing to operate any taxicab.
C. Operator. The term operator shall mean the individual
driving or manipulating a vehicle as a taxicab whether as owner
or agent or employee of owner.
D. Certificate. The term certificate means a certificate
of public convenience and necessity issued by the Board of Dir-
ectors authorizing the holder thereof to conduct a taxicab business
in the City of Little Rock.
E. Holder. The term holder means a person to whom a cer-
tificate of public convenience and necessity has been issued.
F. Manifest. The term manifest shall be held to mean a
daily record prepared by the operator or company of all trips made
by each taxicab showing the time and place of origin and desti-
nation and the amount of fare for each passenger transported.
G. Rate Chart.
The term rate chart means a card approved
by the City of Little Rock to be displayed in each taxicab re-
flecting the rates of fare then in force.
H. Taxicab Driver's Permit. The term taxicab driver's
permit means the permission granted by the City of Little Rock
to a person to drive a taxicab upon the streets of the City of
Little Rock.
I. Waiting Time. The term waiting time means the time
when a taxicab is not in motion and not engaged by a passenger
and the time consumed while standing at the direction of a
passenger or person who has engaged such taxicab.
J. Taxi Zone. The term taxi zone shall mean that curb
space along the public streets of the City of Little Rock desig-
nated by the Director of Traffic for the exclusive parking of
taxicabs by the proper placement of signs or markers reading
"NO PARKING - TAXI ZONE."
Section 23 -2. Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
Required.
A. No person shall operate or permit a taxicab owned,
leased or controlled by him to be operated as a vehicle for
hire upon the streets of the City of Little Rock without having
first obtained a certificate of public convenience and necessity
from the Board of Directors.
B. Application for Certificate. An application for a cer-
tificate shall be filed with the Traffic Director upon forms
provided by the City of Little Rock; and said application shall
be verified under oath and shall furnish the following information:
1. The name and address of the applicant, including
the name and address of all officers and stock-
holders of the company, if incorporated, and the
name of the person to whom complaints should be
directed.
2. The experience of the applicant including all
officers and stockholders of the company, if
incorporated, in the transportation of passengers.
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3. Any facts which the applicant believes tend to
prove that public convenience and necessity
require the granting of a certificate.
4. The number of vehicles to be available for
operation or controlled by the applicant and the
location of proposed depots and terminals.
5. The color scheme or insignia to be used to desig-
nate the vehicle or vehicles of the applicant.
6. It shall be the responsibility of the taxicab com-
pany to keep all the above information current.
C. Public Hearing. Upon the filing of an application, the
City Clerk shall fix a time and place for a public hearing thereon.
Notice of such hearing shall be given to the applicant and to all
persons to whom certificates of public convenience and necessity
have been heretofore issued. Any interested person may file
with the City Clerk a memorandum in support of or opposition to
the issuance of a certificate.
D. Transfer of Certificates. No certificate of public
convenience and necessity may be sold, assigned, mortgaged or
otherwise transferred without the consent of the Board of Dir-
ectors.
E. Suspension and Revocation of Certificates. A certificate
issued under the provisions of this Article may be revoked or
suspended by the Board of Directors if the holder thereof:
1. Has had excessive complaints registered regarding
the operation of the taxicab company;
2. Has violated any of the provisions of this Article;
3. Has discontinued operations for more than twenty (20)
days;
4. Has violated any ordinances of the City of Little
Rock, or the laws of the United States or the State
of Arkansas, the violations of which reflect un-
favorably on the fitness of the holder to offer public
transportation;
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5. Prior to suspension or revocation, the holder
shall be given fourteen (14) days notice of a
hearing to show cause why such action should not
be taken.
Section 23 -2.1. General Rules of Operation.
No taxicab shall be operated by any person other than the
owner of such vehicle or his duly licensed authorized employee.
No operator shall drive any taxicab with more than two passengers
(excluding the operator) in the front seat of such taxicab. An
operator shall, when operating a taxicab,give his full time and
attention to the operation of same. No taxicab shall be operated
unless the proper licenses therefor have been obtained. The
operation of taxicabs shall be conducted in accordance with the
laws of the State of Arkansas and the ordinances of the City of
Little Rock and with due respect for the safety, comfort and con-
venience of passengers, and for the safe and careful transportation
of property of passengers and the safety of the general public;
and all reasonable efforts shall be made to promote such safety
at all times and under all conditions.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any taxicab to
permit any other person to occupy or ride in the taxicab when
the same is occupied by a fare - paying passenger or by members of
the party of the fare - paying passenger, without the consent of
such fare - paying passenger. Additional passengers shall be
charged only the rates established and posted on the rate chart.
No taxicab shall be operated at a rate of speed greater than
that fixed by proper authority or without proper regard for the
conditions of traffic and of the highways; or in such manner or
condition as to endanger the safety of passengers, pedestrians,
vehicles, or the property of others.
Section 23 -2.2. Manifests.
Every company shall maintain a daily manifest upon which is
recorded all trips made by each taxicab, showing the time and place
of origin and destination of each trip and amount of fare for each
aC
passenger. The form for the manifest shall be approved by the
Traffic Director.
Section 23 -2.3. Taxicab Service.
All persons engaged in the taxicab business in the City of
Little Rock shall maintain a central place of business for the
purpose of receiving calls and dispatching cabs. They 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 ser-
vices 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 provide the best quality taxicab services shall be
deemed to have failed to satisfy the public convenience or neces-
sity requirements of the Certificate issued to such holder. Any
holder failing to provide the services herein set forth may,
following a notice to show cause at a hearing to be held by the
Board of Directors, have his certificate to operate cancelled
and revoked by the Board of Directors.
Section 23 -2.4. Stopping, standing, etc; Regulated.
When a taxi zone is occupied by the full number of the
vehicles authorized for such zone, no vehicle shall loiter or wait
nearby for the purpose of occupying space in such zone. No pri-
vate vehicle shall at any time occupy any taxi zone. The driver
of a bus or taxicab shall not stand or park upon any street in
any business district at any place other than at a bus stop, or
taxi zone, respectively, except that this provision shall not
prevent the driver of any such taxicab from temporarily stopping
in accordance with other stopping or parking regulations at any
place for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading
or unloading passenters. No taxicab shall be placed in or shall
occupy a taxi zone except for the purpose of being held forth for
hire.
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Taxicabs shall be placed in taxi zones only at the rear (approach)
end and shall be moved toward and to the front of zones immediately
if space is available or when space becomes available by the de-
parture or movement of preceding taxicabs. Nothing contained
herein shall prohibit a taxicab from leaving a taxi zone regard-
less of the position or place of the taxicab in such zone.
Section 23 -2.5. Loading or Unloading Passengers.
No driver of any taxicab shall stop to load or unload any
passenger while situated in an intersection or crosswalk, or in
such manner as to interfere with the orderly flow of traffic.
Every driver of a taxicab parked in a taxi zone shall be at all
times within five feet of his vehicle. All operators of taxicabs
shall in the use of the public streets give careful attention to
the rights and needs of the public generally using such streets
at the same time.
Operators of taxicabs shall not receive or discharge passen-
gers in the street, but shall pull up to the sidewalk, or in the
absence of a sidewalk, to the extreme right side of the street,
except on one -way streets, and there receive or discharge passen-
gers. Double parking for the purpose of loading or unloading
passengers is prohibited. No taxicab operated within the City
shall engage in cruising for the purpose of picking up passengers.
When a passenger is discharged, the taxicab shall proceed to the
nearest taxi zone, provided, however, that the driver of a taxicab
so returning may park same on any of the streets in the residential
sections of the city.
Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting a driver
of a taxicab from taking on a passenger while enroute to the
nearest taxi zone.
Section 23 -2.6. 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 controls 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 have then in
force a taxicab driver's permit issued under the provisions of
this ordinance.
B. The form of the permit shall be approved by the Traffic
Director and shall include the following information:
1. Name, age, address
2. State of Arkansas Chauffeur License Number
3. Employer
4. Photograph
5. Taxicab Driver Permit Number
Permit forms shall be provided by the taxicab company. A copy of
all issued permits shall be on file in the office of the Traffic Director.
The Traffic Director shall be responsible for approving individual Taxi-
cab Driver's permits. Permits shall be renewed annually.
C. Display of Permit. Every permitee under this ordinance shall
post his driver's permit in such a place as to be in full view of all
passengers while such driver is operating a taxicab, subject to the
approval of the Traffic Director.
D. Suspension and Revocation of Permit.
The Director of Traffic is hereby given the authority to suspend
any driver's permit issued under this ordinance for a driver's
failure or refusing to comply with the provisions of this ordinance, such
suspension to last for a period of not more than ten (10) days. The Traffic
Director is also given authority to revoke any driver's permit for failure
to comply with the provisions of this ordinance. However, a permit may not
be suspended or revoked unless the driver has received seven (7) days
notice and has had an opportunity to .present evidence in his behalf.
E. Failure to comply with City, State and Federal Laws.
Every driver licensed under this ordinance shall comply with
all City, State and Federal laws.
Section 23 -2.7. Certificates Automatically Issued for Taxicabs
Currently in Operation - Limitation on Number
of Taxicabs
Each person, firm or corporation now licensed to operate and
MM
operating taxicabs in the City of Little Rock shall be entitled to a
Certificate to continue such operation, but for only the number of
taxicabs for which permits have been paid to the City Collector as of
the effective date of this ordinance, except as hereinafter provided.
Section 23 -2.8. Bus stops; unlawful to Solicit or Take
Passengers From.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation licen-
sed or authorized to drive or operate a taxicab or taxicabs on the
streets of Little Rock to solicit or take as a passenger any person
or persons in a passenger zone and awaiting transportation by any
bus operated by authority of the City of Little Rock.
Section 23 -2.9. Penalty for Violations.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions
of this Article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon con-
viction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less than two ($2.00)
dollars nor more than one hundred ($100.00) dollars, except where
another or different fine is prescribed for the violation of some
specific section hereof.
ARTICLE :II.. FARES, ZONES AND INCREASE OF NUMBER OF TAXICABS.
Section 23 -3. Zones and Rate Schedule Chart to be Displayed.
Each taxicab shall display a zone map, a chart of zone rates,
and if metered, shall display meter rates, and there shall be dis-
played 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 under-
standable schedule of rates as fixed by the Board of Directors.
The card shall be identical in all respects with that approved by
the Traffic Director and an approved card shall be on display in
the office of the Traffic Director.
The responsibility for display of a rate chart in each and
every taxicab shall lay with the company.
There shall be displayed on both sides of the vehicle, in
such a manner as to be seen from the exterior of each 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 Traffic Director and on display in the
office of the Traffic Director. No signs or other matter shall
be affixed to the windshield or windows except such as may be
WE
authorized by the Traffic Director or other public authorities.
Section 23 -3.1. Zone Rates.
The zone fares for taxicab service in the City of Little Rock
shall not exceed sixty (60�) cents for taxicab service within the
first zone, nor thirty (30�) cents within and between each of the
zones in addition to the first zone, all as described and defined
in the plat of such zones attached hereto and made a part hereof,
except as hereinafter provided. Said plat shall be maintained
in the office of the City Clerk and a certified copy of same shall
be kept on file in the office of the City Collector.
The zones on said plat which are indicated by yellow colo-
ration shall carry a sixty (60�) cents minimum charge for trips
originating in said zone. The zones on said plat which are indi-
cated by red coloration shall carry a seventy -five (75�) cent
minimum charge for trips originating in said zone. The zones on
said plat which are indicated by blue coloration shall carry a
one ($1.00) dollar minimum charge for trips originating in said
zone. Provided, however, that if the total fare for taxicab
service for trips originating in yellow, red or blue zones as
are indicated on said plat, including the minimum charge appli-
cable thereto, shall exceed the sum of one dollar and fifty ($1.50)
cents, then the minimum charge shall be eliminated and the charge
to the passenger shall be at the rate of thirty (30�) cents per
zone without regard to the place or origin of the trip.
Section 23 -3.2. Same - Receipt for Fare; Additional Charges.
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 said fare, the date
thereof, and the signature of the person to whom the fare is paid.
An additional charge of twenty -five cents (25�) may be made
for each passenger who is more than seven (7) years of age and
who is a member of a business or social group on a joint mission
with the person paying the fare.
A charge of twenty -five (25C) may be made for the dismissal
of a taxicab which has responded to a telephone call.
A charge of twenty -five (25�) cents may be made for each
four minutes of waiting time the vehicle for hire is required to
make at the request of a passenger. No additional charge shall
be required for baggage.
Section 23 -3.3. Same - Application for Additional Taxicabs;
Hearing.
The holder of a valid certificate to operate and operating
taxicabs in the city may file with the Traffic Director an appli-
cation for an increase in the number of taxicabs operated by such
holder, which application shall set forth:
1. That 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 public hearing on the appli-
cation shall be conducted by the Board of Directors or any committee
designated by the Board. All persons interested in or affected by
such application 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.
Section 23 -3.4. Same - Increase by ordinance or resolution;
Judicial Review of Necessity.
After such hearing, the Board of Directors shall determine
whether public convenience and necessity require additional ser-
vice of the class and character described in such application, and,
if the Board of Directors finds that the public convenience and
necessity require additional service, it shall by appropriate ordi-
nance or resolution, authorize applicant to put into operation
additional taxicabs in any number not to exceed the number requested
in the application; provided, however, that the Board of Directors
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and the City Collector shall not issue permits for additional
taxicabs until after ten days (10) from the effective date of
such ordinance or resolution to provide for judicial review of
the finding of the Board of Directors as to convenience and neces-
sity for the additional service.
Section 23 -3.5. Taxicab fares - Election as to Zone or
Meter Rates
Each person, firm or corporation licensed or authorized to
drive or operate a taxicab or taxicabs on the streets of the City
may elect whether to adopt a meter rate or a zone rate.
Section 23 -3.6. Same - Meter rates; Inspection of meters;
direct route.
The following minimum and maximum rates shall apply to
metered taxicabs operating in the city:
A. Minimum rates for metered taxicabs:
1. Twenty -five (250 cents for the first mile or
fraction thereof;
2. Five cents (5�) for each additional half mile, or
fraction thereof;
B. Maximum rates for metered taxicabs:
1. Forty -five (45�) cents for the first nine - tenths
(9/10) of a mile or fraction thereof;
2. Ten (10�) cents for each additional half mile or
fraction thereof.
C. No such person, firm, or corporation electing to adopt
a meter rate shall drive or operate a taxicab unless the meter
in such taxicab has been inspected by an appropriate employee of
the city within thirty -five (35) days preceding the date of such
driving or operating of such taxicab.
In computing the meter rate or fare to be charged for taxi-
cab service, charge shall be made on the most direct route from
the point at which the passenger began the journey to the point
of destination of said passenger.
Section 23 -3.7. Same - Special Events Fare.
Taxicabs are authorized to charge a "Special Event" fare per
person when transporting passengers from the hotels, restaurants
and commercial establishments in the commercial district (bounded
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by Interstate Highway 30, the Arkansas River, High Street and
12th Street) to War Memorial Stadium, Barton Colliseum, Arkansas
Livestock Show Grounds, or Ray Winder Field to attend regularly
scheduled events. When the vehicle is available only for "Special
Event" hire, a sign shall be prominently displayed indicating
the destination and the fare per person, and the operator shall
have the privilege of waiting not more than five (5) minutes in
an attempt to obtain a full load. The fare shall be seventy -five
(75�) cents per person to the Stock Show Grounds from the West
Roosevelt and Asher area as far west as Asher and Fairpark and
seventy -five (75�) cents per person west of Fairpark and south
of Asher to the present city limits. When a load of three (3)
or more persons cannot be obtained, the taxicab driver may elect
to rescind his "Special Event" status and charge the regular
rates. The same procedure may be followed when transporting pas-
sengers from the regularly scheduled events at the above named
places to the hotels, restaurants and commercial establishments
in the above described commercial districts.
Section 23 -3.8. Same - Trips originating at Airport.
Meter and zone rates shall not apply to trips originating
at the Little Rock Municipal Airport and terminating at points
within Zone One (1) in the City of Little Rock. The rate for
such trips shall be as follows:
One and 50/100 ($1.50) dollars for one passenger and fifty
cents for each additional passenger.
Section 23 -3.9. Same - Penalty for Violations.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates the provisions
of this Article II shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on con-
viction shall be fined in any sum not less than twenty -five ($25.00)
dollars nor more than two hundred and fifty ($250.00) dollars and
imprisoned for not less than five days nor more than thirty days.
In the event there is a continuing violation of this Article II
each day that said taxicab is driven or operated in violation
thereof shall constitute a separate offense.
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SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall be in full force and
effect from and after its passage.
PASSED: November 20, 1973
ATTEST: - e APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor
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e
SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall be in full force and
effect from and after its passage.
PASSED: November 20, 1973
ATTEST: - e APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor
-13-