Belmont Municipal Code Art. I In General

For the purposes of this chapter the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Driver is a person in charge of, or operating, any passenger-carrying motor-propelled vehicle as herein defined, either as owner or employee or under the direction of such owners or employees.

Owner is to be a person who in any manner has the proprietary use, ownership or control of any passenger-carrying, motor-propelled vehicle.

Stand is to be a place designated for the use, while awaiting employment, of the particular motor-propelled, passenger-carrying vehicles authorized to utilize the same.

Taxicab is hereby defined to be a motor-propelled vehicle which is used for the transportation of passengers for hire over and along the public streets, not over a defined route, but as to route and destination in accordance with and under the direction of the person hiring such vehicle.

(Code 1961, § 26.1)

(a) It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator to drive or operate a taxicab or cause the same to be driven or operated in the city and no license for the operation thereof shall be granted unless and until there is on file with the city clerk and in full force and effect at all times while such taxicab is being operated a policy of insurance approved by the city attorney, with a solvent and responsible company authorized to do business in the state, insuring the owner of such taxicab (giving the manufacture number and state license number) against loss by reason of injury or damage that may result to persons or property from the negligent operation or defective construction of such taxicab, or from any other cause. Such policy shall be limited to not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for the injury or death of one person, twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) for the injury of two (2) or more persons in the same accident and one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for injury or destruction of property.

(b) Such policy of insurance shall guarantee the payment to any and all persons suffering injury or damage to person or property of any final judgment rendered against such owner or driver, within the limits above mentioned, irrespective of the financial condition or any acts or omissions of such owner or driver, and shall inure to the benefit of such persons, and to a widow, child, or personal representative of a person killed while a passenger of such taxicab.

(c) If, at any time, such policy of insurance is cancelled by the company issuing the same, or the authority of the company to do business in the state shall be revoked, the city clerk shall require the owner to replace such policy with another policy, satisfactory to the city attorney and in default thereof the owner's license to operate shall be revoked.

(Code 1961, § 26.6)

It shall be unlawful for any driver, operating under a permit issued pursuant to the terms of this chapter, to refuse, when the vehicle is in service and not otherwise engaged, to transport any person who presents himself for carriage in a sober and orderly manner and for a lawful purpose.

(Code 1961, § 26.5)

Any driver employed to transport passengers to a definite point shall take the most direct route that will take the passengers to their destination safely and expeditiously.

(Code 1961, § 26.2)