Porterville Municipal Code § 23-9 Mechanical and Sanitary Condition of Vehicle

All automobiles for hire and taxicabs shall be kept in good mechanical condition.

No automobile for hire or taxicab shall be operated unless the passenger compartment be kept clean and in a sanitary condition. (Ord. Code § 7732.4)

All vehicles permitted to be operated under a permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall be in safe operating condition and shall be inspected annually by a qualified mechanic certified by the state of California department of consumer affairs. The police department shall provide inspection forms, which the mechanic shall complete and certify. The permit holder shall submit the completed inspection form to the police department.

In the event said vehicle is found to be unsafe because of defective brakes, lights, or other operating defect, said vehicle shall not be used as a taxicab or vehicle for hire until such defect has been corrected. The cost of said inspection shall be at the expense of the taxicab/automobile for hire company. (Ord. 946 § C, 8-5-1969; Ord. 1666 § 3, 4-19-2005)

Every taxicab shall be equipped with a single tariff taximeter or other measuring instrument. The use of any inaccurate taximeter or other measuring instrument for the purpose of gauging or indicating distance traveled, or waiting time for the purpose of fixing rates to be collected from the public, is hereby prohibited. It shall be the duty of the owner using any taximeter or other measuring instrument to keep said taximeter or other measuring instrument in an accurate condition.

The permit holder shall provide proof that each vehicle's taximeter is inspected a minimum of once a year, and immediately upon a change effecting the meter rate, by the Tulare County department of weights and measures. The taximeter shall be subject to inspection at any time by the Tulare County department of weights and measures.

Every taximeter or other measuring instrument used for the purpose of gauging or indicating distance traveled, or waiting time, or for the purpose of computing fares to be collected from the public, shall be of a type approved and subject to inspection at any time by the chief of police or his designee. A police officer who receives a complaint from any person that the rate charged is more than the legal rate shall report such fact to the chief of police, who shall cause such taximeter or other measuring instrument to be inspected at once.

The taximeter shall be so placed in a taxicab that the reading dial showing the amount to be charged shall be well lighted and readily discernible by the passenger riding in such taxicab, unless such taxicab is equipped and operated with a receipt printing taximeter.

All drivers of taxicabs, upon payment of the fare, shall give a receipt when requested for the fare paid.

All taxicab drivers shall cause the taximeter to be in the nonrecording position at the termination of each service.

The taxicab driver, while carrying passengers or under employment, shall not cause the taximeter to be in such position as to denote that such taxicab is not employed, or in such position as to denote that he is employed at a rate or fare different than that to which he is entitled. (Ord. 1032 § A, 2-20-1973; Ord. 1666 § 4, 4-19-2005)

The chief of police or his designee, under his/her direction, shall have the right at any time, when a taxicab or vehicle for hire is not transporting a customer and after displaying proper identification, to enter into that vehicle for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not any of the provisions set forth in this chapter are being violated.

Such inspection may occur when a customer is present and the chief of police or his/her designee has probable cause to believe a violation is present. (Ord. 1666 § 5, 4-19-2005)