Alameda Municipal Code § 10-5 Taxicabs

No taxicab shall seek or accept passengers within the City unless said taxicab has applied for and obtained a franchise from the City. Rules and regulations of taxicab franchises are established by ordinance. The fees for taxicab franchises shall be established by resolution of the City Council

(Ord. No. 2634 N.S. 2: Ord. No. 693 N.S.; Ord. No. 2320 N.S.; Ord. No. 2459 N.S. 1; Ord. No. 2587 N.S. 1)

Each franchise shall provide a twenty-four (24) hour dispatch service for the franchise's drivers. Regular franchises shall provide dispatch services by two-way radio. Cellular telephones may only be used as an addition to a regular franchise's dispatch. Associate franchises may provide dispatch services by either two-way radio or cellular telephone. Franchisees may dispatch taxicabs by two-way radio or by cellular telephone. Each taxicab shall be equipped with the appropriate equipment to receive the dispatches.

(Ord. No. 2634 N.S. 2: Ord. No. 693 N.S.; Ord. No. 2182 N.S.)

No franchise granted pursuant to the taxicab franchise ordinance shall be for longer than five (5) years.

In addition to the business license and driver's permit requirements set forth elsewhere in this code, all franchises are required to comply with the "Standards for Taxicab Maintenance" promulgated by the Chief of Police and filed with the City Clerk. All taxicabs shall be inspected by the Police Department and must pass such inspection.

(Ord. No. 2634 N.S. 2: Ord. No. 693 N.S.)

Every owner operating a taxicab in the City shall adopt a characteristic color scheme and shall use the same on all vehicles operated by it. No change whatever in the color scheme or distinguishing characteristics of any taxicab shall be made without written permission from the Chief of Police, and it shall be unlawful for any person soliciting patronage for any public motor vehicle to represent, by word or sign or insignia or accouterments, that the public motor vehicle for which he is soliciting such patronage is a vehicle owned or operated by other than the actual owner.

(Ord. No. 693 N.S.)

Every taxicab operated in the City shall have painted upon the side of the cab the name of the owner or the fictitious name under which the owner operates, together with the company number of the cab. The lettering of same, and all signs to be displayed on any cab, shall be subject at all times to the approval of the Chief of Police.

(Ord. No. 2544, 1)

The Chief of Police may, upon the written application of any taxicab, automobile-for-hire, or sight-seeing bus owner, permit such owner to allow any vehicle operated by him to stand at certain places designated for the owner, while awaiting employment. Such application shall state the number and kind of vehicles for which the permit is sought and the proposed location of such stands. Such application must be accompanied by the written consent of the person primarily affected by reason of the fact that such vehicle shall stand in front of the premises either owned or occupied by him or in which he is otherwise interested. Not more than two (2) such vehicles shall be permitted to stand upon either side of a street within the limits of any one (1) block. No permit shall be issued for any stand to be located within fifty (50°) feet of another such stand on the same side of any street, nor shall more than two (2) stands be granted to any owner for each licensed public motor vehicle. No owner shall permit any vehicle operated by him and no driver shall cause any such vehicle to stand while awaiting employment at any place on a public street other than a stand for which a permit has been granted to such owner as herein provided; and no more than one (1) such vehicle shall be so permitted or caused to stand in any one (1) stand at any time.

(Ord. No. 693 N.S.)

When a taxicab or automobile for hire is engaged, the occupants shall have the exclusive right to the full and free use of the passenger compartment, and it shall be unlawful for the owner or driver of such vehicle to solicit or carry passengers contrary to such right.

(Ord. No. 693 N.S.)

a. It shall be unlawful for the owner or driver of any taxicab or automobile for hire to operate the same or cause the same to be operated without first having filed with the Police Department a schedule of passenger rates or fares proposed to be charged. It shall also be unlawful for the owner or driver of any taxicab or automobile for hire to demand or charge any amount greater or less than the amount shown on the schedule of rates or fares on file with the Police Department, which shall remain in effect until the new schedule of passenger rates or fares has been filed with the Department.

b. The schedule of rates in effect must be posted in a place conspicuous from the passenger's compartment of the taxicab at all times, and must be printed or typewritten in letters and figures sufficiently large to be legible to persons in the passenger's compartment.

c. The driver of any public motor vehicle, other than a motor bus, shall give a receipt, upon the request of any passenger, for the fare paid by such passenger.

(Ord. No. 693 N.S.; Ord. No. 2182 N.S.)

The driver of a taxicab authorized to operate in any municipality other than the City may transport passengers from such municipality to a destination within or beyond the City limits provided that the driver of such taxicab shall not seek or accept passengers within the City unless both the taxicab and its driver possess valid permits allowing them to operate as a public motor vehicle and driver of same, issued by the City.

(Ord. No. 693 N.S.; Ord. No. 2182 N.S.)