Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout7181ORDINANCE N0. 191 AN ORDINANCE R`'`GULI?TING MOTOR VEHICLES FOR HIRE, THE O':JNER`_AND OPERATORS THERE -, OF, AND PROVIDING A LICENS FOR SAME, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARK._ SECTION 1. A. Wherever used in these regulations, the term "Commission" shall mean the public taxicab commission of the City of Little Rock and shall be composed of the Chief of Police, the, director of the Traffic Bureau and the City Collector. B. The terra "Motor Vehicle" shall mean any automobile, motor cab, or motor bus operated for public use for the convenience of persons or property within the limits of the City of Little Rock for hire other than motor busses operated over defined routes. C. Wherever used in this ordinance the term "Company" shall be deemed to include any person, association, partnership, cor- poration, or other organizations owning or operating or pro- posing to operate any taxicab. The term (Operator" shall be deemed to mean the individual actually driving the taxicab. SECTION 2. Every passenger vehicle for hire, whether operated from a private establishment or from a public space, having a seatin€- capacity of less than twelve passengers, exclusive of driver or operator, shall be governed by these re- gulations. SECTION 3. Whenever a taxicab is not on call or occupied by any passengers, the taxicab shall be available to an7 person or persons hailing the cab. Upon taking on a passenger, the general direction of the destination of the first passenger shall determine the general direction of the particular trip. Thereafter additional passen *Fers whose destination lies generally in that di- rection may be taken on to the extent of the full carrying capacity of the cab, toCewit: Three passengers in the rear seat and two pass- enger.s in the front seat, or five passengers in the rear seats and two passengers in the front seat, as the construction of the vehicle s ,:g_ mad permit. Upon discharge of the first passenger, the taxicab driver may pick up additional passengers to the limit of the carry- ing capacity of the cab. All passengers shall be discharged in the order of their respective destinations, except that a later passen- ger may be discharged earlier, if his destination lies along the route of an earlier passenger. SECTION 4. Each taxicab shall display the chart of zones, zone rates, and if a meter rate shall display a meter; and there shall be displayed in a suitable frame in the passenger com- partment 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 the tag number and a legible and understandable schedule of rates as fixed by the City Coumcil. The card shall be identical in all respects with that approved by the commission and an approved card shall be on display in the office of the chairman of the commission. SECTION 5. There shall be displayed on both sides of the vehicle, in such a manner as to be seen from the exterior of each cab, signs giving a description of the rates required by the City Council of the City of Little Rock. The said signs are to be identical in all respects with those approved by the commission and on display in the office of the chairman of the commission. No signs or other matter shall be affixed to the windshield or windows except such as may be authorized by the commission or other public authorities. SECTION 6. The driver of a public vehicle licensed under this ordinance shall have affixed to the interior of said vehicle in a place readily usable to all passengers a receptacle which at all times shall contain the identification card of the driver of such vehicle, accompanied by a profile head and shoulders photograph of the applicant, size 22" x 2 3/4 ". The application shall contain the schedule and the address of the operator of said vehicle. r � ' r ti -3- SECTION 7. All persons making application to the Com- mission to drive vehicles for hire shall be required to fill out and file with the Traffic Bureau of the Police Department a personal description sheet containing such information as the Commission may require, accompanied by two new fullface and one profile head and shoulders photographs, size 22" x 2 3/4 ". The applicant shall be required to be fingerprinted by the Detective Bureau. The application shall contain the signature and addresses of three re- sponsible business men who have known the applicant for a period of one year or more and who will vouch for the sobriety, honesty, and general good character of the applicant. SECTION 8. If in the opinion of the Commission an investigation of an applieant shall be made, the Traffic Bureau of the Police Department is hereby required to make such inves- tigation and furnish the Commission with any information with re- ference to said applicant that it may desire. SECTION 9. No taxicab shall be drivep or any taxicab company operated by a person who is less than twenty -one (21) years of age; who is addicted to the use of narcotics or intoxicating liquor; who is not of good moral character; who is mentally deficient or physically defective to such an extent as to impair his ability to properly and efficiently operate the same; who is not experienced in operating motor vehicles and fully com- petent to operate such vehicles carefully and cmurteously; or has not obtained an operatorts permit required by this ordinance for drivers of motor vehicles. SECTION 10. Upon recommendation of the commission any chauffeur's license issued under this ordinance may be revoked for cause. The Commission shall notify the person to whom such license was issued by registered mail at the last address record- ed by such person and shall fix a time and place for hearing the said person as soon as practicable thereafter, providing that if the person whose license is sought to be revoked shall fail to r -4- appear at the time designated by the Commission, no further hear- ing shall be required. If, after hearing such matters as may be presented to the Commission with respect to any such proposed re- vocation, the Commission is of the opinion that the licenseeis ru t a fit person to operate the vehicle, or if it is said that the licensee has been convicted of any offense by reason of which the revocation of his driving license is required by law, the said Com- mission shall notify such person in writing and also said person's employer, and a copy of the Commission's findings shall be mailed to each licensed taxicab owner, operator, or manager in the City of Little Rock, Any owner, manager, or operator of a taxicab company who should employ the person so suspended shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined in any stmt not less than $10.00 nor more than $50.00. Any person whose abauffeur license may have been suspended or revoked or who may have been refused such a license may apply to said Commission for reconsideration, and the slid Commission is hereby authorized to reconsider the said appli- cation and to make such recommendations as are warranted. SECTION 11. No public vehicle shall be operated by any person other than the owner of such vehicle or his duly licensed authorized employee. Nocperator shall drive any taxicab when such taxicab is so loaded and when there are more than two passen- gers (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 law of the state of Arkansas and the ordinances of the City of Little Rock and with due respect for the safety, comfort, and convenience of passengers, and for the safe and careful trans- portation of property, 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. -5- SECTION 12. No taxicab shall be operated at a rate of speed greater than that fixed by proper authority or with- out proper regard for the conditions of traffic and of the high- ways; or in such manner or condition as to endanger the safety of passengers, pedestrians, vehicles, or the property of others. SECTION 13. 1Adhen a public vehicle stand is occ- upied by the full number of the vehicles authorized for such stand, no vehicle shall loiter or wait nearby for the purpose of occupying space on such stand. No private vehicle shall at any time occupy any public vehicle stand. Public vehicles shall occupy only public vehicle stands designated for their use in accordance with the type of operation for which they are licensed. No public ve- hicle shall be placed upon or shall occupy a public vehicle stand except for the purpose of beinr_ held forth for hire. Vehicles shall be placed on public vehicle stands only at the rear (approach) end and shall be moved toward and to the front of stands immediately if space is available or when space becomes available by the de- parture or movement of preceding vehicles. Nothing c n tained here- in shall prohibit a taxicab from leavin`• a public vehicle star d, regardless of the position or place of the taxicab in such stand. SECTION 14. No driver of any public vehicle licen- sed by the City of Little Rock shall stop to load or unload any passenger while occupying any intersection or crosswalk, or in such manner as to interfere with the orderly flow of traffic. Every driver of a public vehicle of whatsoever kind located on a public vehicle stand shall be at all ti_aes within 5 feet of his vehicle, except when using a taxicab call box. 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 dis- charge p ssengers in the street, but ;A. --enever possible shall pull up to the sidewalk, or in the absence of a sidewalk, to the ex- treme right side of the road, _nd there receive or discharge pass- engers. Double parknr.for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers is prohibited. No taxicab operated within the -6- City shall engage in cruising for the purpose of picking up passengers. When a passenger is discharged, the taxicab shall pro- Geed to the nearest taxicab stand or to the nearest call -box stand. SECTION 15., Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting a driver of a taxicab from taking on a passenger while en route to the nearest taxicab stand or call -box stand. SECTION 16. It shall be unlawful for any operator to charge or attempt to charge a passenger oil customer a greater amount for a fare than the fare or amount fixed by the ordinances of the City of Little Rock for the transportation which he has re- ceived, and it shall.be unlawful for any person who has received transportation services in a public vehicle to refuse to pay the operator thereof according to the rates established by proper ordinances of the City of Little Rock, SECTION 17. All persons operating any = vehicle for hire under the terms and provisions of this ordinance,shall pay to the City of Little Rock a Chauffeurs License in the amount of $5.00 per year. Said license shall be valid from January 1 to December 31 of the year secured. Any person applying for such license after the first day of July of any year shall be required to pay for.such license the sum of $2.50 which license shall be valid during the remainder of such year. Ordinance 6859 of the ordinances of the City of Little Rock is hereby expressly repaled. SECTION 18. Any person, firm, or corporation who violates any of the provisions-of this ordinance shall upon con- viction thereof be fined in any sum of not less than $10.00 nor more than $100.00. SECTION 19. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approv- al. Div � �� � • • r -7- ZOMWA PASSED: January 131 1947 - � r