Costa Mesa Municipal Code Art. 16 Taxicabs

The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall be construed as herein set forth, unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning was intended.

City

means City of Costa Mesa.

City authorization

means city business license to operate a taxicab business in the city.

Driver

means a person who drives or controls the movements of a taxicab.

Driver's permit

means a valid permit issued by OCTAP authorizing a person to drive or control the movements of a taxicab.

OCTAP

means the Orange County Taxi Administration Program administered by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Operate a taxicab

means to drive a taxicab and either solicit or pick up passengers for hire in the city.

Owner

means the registered owner or lessor of a taxicab.

Person

includes natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business, trust, corporation, or public entity.

Taxicab

means a vehicle operated within the city, capable of carrying not more than eight persons, excluding the driver, and used to carry passengers for hire. The term shall exclude a vehicle operating as a charter party carrier licensed as such by any state agency, including the public utilities commission, or any other vehicle having a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by any state agency, including the public utilities commission.

Taxicab business permit

means a valid permit issued by OCTAP authorizing a person to operate a taxicab business.

Taxicab vehicle permit

means a valid permit issued by OCTAP authorizing a particular vehicle to be operated as a taxicab.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

(a) A person shall only operate a taxicab if the owner of that taxicab is authorized by a business license issued by the city to operate a taxicab business in the city.

(b) An owner shall only allow a taxicab owned by the owner to be operated if the owner is authorized by a business license issued by the city to operate a taxicab business in the city.

(c) It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of providing taxicab service or of operating a taxicab upon any public street within the city, without having first obtained a driver's permit, taxicab business permit, taxicab vehicle permit and a business license.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

The applicant for a business license for a taxicab shall deliver to the director of finance written proof of a policy of insurance consistent with OCTAP regulations as adopted by resolution by city council. No business license shall be valid for a taxicab where liability insurance coverage for such vehicle has expired.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

No person shall refuse to pay the legal fare for the hire of any taxicab, after having hired the same, with the intent to defraud the person from whom it is hired.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A person shall only operate a taxicab if that person possesses a driver's permit and if city business license has been obtained. An owner shall only allow a driver to operate a taxicab owned by the owner if that driver possesses a driver's permit and if city business license has been obtained.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A person shall only operate a taxicab if that vehicle displays a taxicab vehicle permit and if city business license has been obtained. An owner shall only allow a taxicab owned by the owner to be operated in the city if that vehicle displays a taxicab vehicle permit and if city business license has been obtained.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A person shall only operate a taxicab business in the city if that person possesses a taxicab business permit and if city business license has been obtained.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

Application for a driver's permit, taxicab vehicle permit or taxicab business permit shall be made to OCTAP on a form provided by OCTAP and shall be accompanied by an application fee sufficient to cover the administrative costs of processing said application as established by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A driver shall test negative for controlled substances and alcohol as required by applicable state statutes.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A driver operating a taxicab in the city shall carry with him/her at all times proof of insurance covering that vehicle, with such policy limits and coverage as established by OCTAP, section 9-242, and resolution of city council. Said proof of insurance must clearly identify the vehicle covered.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

No permit issued under this article shall be assigned to or used by any person or vehicle other than the person or vehicle named in such permit.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A taxicab operated under the authority of this article shall be equipped according to the standards established by OCTAP, resolution of city council and pursuant to this Code.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

A taxicab operated under the authority of this article shall be maintained according to the standards established by OCTAP, resolution of city council and pursuant to this Code.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

The requirements of this article are separate and independent from the business licensing and any other provisions under the Costa Mesa Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

An application for a business license as required by this article shall be accompanied by a filing fee set by resolution of city council for each taxicab which applicant proposes to operate within the city to cover the administrative cost to the city of processing the application.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this article is held to be invalid for any reason, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this article. The city council of the City of Costa Mesa declares that the provisions of this article are severable and that it would have passed this article and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase, irrespective of the fact that any one or more of the same be declared invalid.

(Ord. No. 97-33, § 2, 11-17-97)