Fairfield Municipal Code Art. III Taximeters

It shall be unlawful for any owner or driver to operate any taxicab in the City unless such vehicle is equipped with a taximeter of such type, style and design as may be approved by the City. It shall be the duty of every owner operating a taxicab to keep such taximeter in working condition so that the taximeter will, at all times, correctly and accurately indicate the correct charge for the distance traveled and waiting time. The taximeter shall be at all times subject to inspection by the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police is hereby authorized in his or her discretion, or upon the complaint of any person, to investigate or cause to be investigated such taximeter. Upon the discovery of any inaccuracy in any meter, the vehicle equipped with such taximeter shall be removed from operation until such time as the taximeter shall have been correctly adjusted.

The owner shall on a quarterly basis submit to inspection by the County Department of Weights and Measures to determine the accuracy of taximeters and the taxicab to which it is attached.

Taximeters placed into taxicabs to replace broken or faulty meters shall be inspected, tested and approved by the County Department of Weights and Measures prior to operation as a taxicab.

Taximeters shall be placed in taxicabs so that the reading dial showing the amount to be charged is well lighted and readily discernible by the passenger riding in such taxicabs.

(a) Every taximeter shall register the charge to the nearest ten cents ($0.10) and be equipped with a flag or other mechanical device. The flag shall be attached and connected to the mechanism of the taximeter so as to cause the mechanism to operate when the flag is in a position other than upright and indicate that the taxicab is not for hire, and which flag, when moved forward or downward, shall start the operation of the taximeter so that the same will operate in the manner defined in this section.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any driver of a taxicab, while carrying passengers, to display the flag or device attached to such taximeter in such a position as to denote that such vehicle is for hire or is not employed or to have such flag or other attached device in such a position as to prevent the taximeter from operating. It shall be unlawful for any driver to throw such a flag or other device of a taximeter into a position which causes the taximeter to record when such vehicle is not actually employed or to fail to throw the flag or other device on such taximeter into a nonrecording position at the termination of each service.

(c) All charges for transportation of passengers in taxicabs operated in the City shall be based on the charges indicated on the taximeter. It shall be unlawful for any owner, driver or operator of any taxicab to charge any passenger any sum in excess of the sum indicated on the taximeter.

(Ord. 2006-25, § 1; Ord. 2006-29, § 1)