Sacramento Municipal Code Art. IV Taxicab Fleet Associations

A. No person shall engage in the business of operating or managing a taxicab fleet association in the city without a valid taxicab fleet association permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

B. Upon demand of a peace officer or city employee authorized to enforce this chapter, the association shall present the valid taxicab fleet association permit for examination. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. A taxicab fleet association may apply for a taxicab fleet association permit, or a renewal thereof, by filing an application with the director. The application shall be on a form approved by the city manager and may require any information or documentation consistent with the provisions of this code.

B. To renew a taxicab fleet association permit, an application shall be submitted no later than thirty (30) days prior to the association permit renewal date assigned to the association pursuant to Section 5.136.530(A). Untimely applications are subject to a late penalty in the amount established by resolution of the city council.

C. Every application for, or a renewal of, a taxicab fleet association permit shall be accompanied by a non-refundable taxicab fleet association permit application fee in the amount established by resolution of the city council.

D. No person shall knowingly make a false statement of fact or knowingly omit any information that is required in an application for a taxicab fleet association permit. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

The director may deny any taxicab fleet association permit if the director determines that one or more of the following circumstances exist:

A. The application received is incomplete;

B. The application contains a false or misleading statement or omission of a material fact;

C. The taxicab fleet association fails to meet any of the requirements as set forth in this article;

D. Any of the taxicab fleet association's owners, officers, directors, partners, agents or other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association has been charged in an indictment issued by a grand jury, or in an information, complaint or similar pleading issued by the United States Attorney, district attorney, city attorney or other governmental official or agency authorized to prosecute crimes, with a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year or with a crime involving moral turpitude; and those criminal proceedings are currently pending;

E. Any of the taxicab fleet association's owners, officers, directors, partners, agents and other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association, has been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, or a crime involving moral turpitude;

F. The taxicab fleet association or any of its owners, officers, directors, partners, agents and other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association, has any unpaid and overdue administrative penalties imposed for violations of this chapter;

G. The applicant has not paid the applicable business operations tax pursuant to Chapter 3.08;

H. Within twelve (12) months of the date of application, either the taxicab fleet association has had its taxi-cab fleet association permit revoked; or any of the association's owners, officers, directors, partners, agents or other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association were associated with another taxicab fleet association that had its taxicab fleet association permit revoked; or

I. Operation of the taxicab fleet association is a threat to the public health, safety or welfare. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. Upon issuance of each taxicab fleet association permit, the director shall assign an association permit renewal date that is at least one year, but not more than two years, from the date that the permit is issued.

B. A taxicab fleet association permit issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be valid until the association permit renewal date assigned pursuant to subsection A of this section, unless it is suspended or revoked sooner. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

The director may suspend or revoke any taxicab fleet association permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter for any of the following reasons:

A. One or more of the circumstances upon which a taxicab fleet association permit could be denied, as described in Section 5.136.520, exists or has occurred; or

B. The taxicab fleet association, its owners, officers, directors, partners, agents and other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association, its registered taxicab drivers or taxicab vehicles have violated any provision of this chapter. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. Taxicab fleet associations shall maintain in the association office a current list of all taxicab drivers who are registered to that association. The association shall advise the city of any change in registration of a taxicab driver within seven calendar days of such change.

B. Taxicab fleet associations shall collect and maintain in the association office the following records relating to each taxicab driver who is registered to that association:

1. A copy of a valid taxicab driver permit issued pursuant to this chapter. The copies shall be maintained in the association office for at least one year after the date that the permit expired;

2. Triplogs for each day the taxicab driver operates a taxicab, as described in Section 5.136.220. The trip-logs shall be maintained in the association office for at least one year from the date of the triplog;

3. Current certificates of automobile liability insurance, as described in Section 5.136.450. The certificates shall be maintained in the association office for at least three years after the date that the insurance policy expires. (Ord. 2013-0002 § 5; Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. Taxicab fleet associations shall maintain in the association office a current list of all taxicabs that are registered to that association, including and identifying all registered accessible taxicabs. The association shall advise the city of any change in registration of a taxicab within seven calendar days of such change.

B. Taxicab fleet associations shall collect and maintain in the association office a copy of the valid taxicab vehicle permit issued pursuant to this chapter to each taxicab that is registered to that association. The copies shall be maintained in the association office for at least one year after the date that the permit expired. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A taxicab fleet association shall maintain a minimum of twenty-five (25) registered taxicabs in operational condition and in compliance with all other provisions of this code, including any accessible taxicabs. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A taxicab fleet association shall maintain a minimum of one registered accessible taxicab. If an association has more than twenty-five (25) registered taxicabs, the association shall maintain at least one additional accessible taxicab for every twenty-five (25) additional registered taxicabs or any fraction thereof. For example, if the association has a total of twenty-six (26) to fifty (50) taxicabs, two must be accessible taxicabs; and if the association has a total of fifty-one (51) to seventy-five (75) taxicabs, three must be accessible taxicabs. To satisfy the requirements of this subsection, each accessible taxicab must be in operational condition and in compliance with all other provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. A taxicab fleet association shall maintain an office that is physically located in the city or within ten (10) miles of the city limits, has telephone service with a local Sacramento number, and is able to receive facsimile transmissions.

B. The taxicab fleet association shall submit to the director the mailing address, physical address and phone numbers of the association office. Any changes to the address and phone numbers of the association office shall be submitted to the director in writing within ten (10) days of making the change.

C. The taxicab fleet association permit issued for that association shall be clearly displayed in the association office.

D. The association office shall be open to the public and staffed every weekday from eight a.m. to five p.m., excluding city holidays; and the association office telephone must be answered twenty-four (24) hours a day every day.

E. The taxicab fleet association shall, upon request by the city, make all records required to be collected or maintained by the taxicab fleet association pursuant to the provisions of this chapter available for city inspection at the association office on any weekday, excluding city holidays, from eight a.m. to five p.m. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. The taxicab fleet association shall designate one person to serve as its manager, and one other person to serve as its alternate manager.

B. The manager and alternate manager shall be authorized to receive all correspondence and notices from the city pertaining to the taxicab fleet association and its registered taxicab vehicles and taxicab drivers.

C. The taxicab fleet association shall submit to the director the names of its manager and alternate manager. Any changes shall be submitted to the director in writing within ten (10) days of making the change. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. The director shall approve a unique color plan for the taxicab vehicles registered to each taxicab fleet association. Each color plan must be sufficiently unique so that each taxicab may be easily identified as part of a certain taxicab fleet association.

B. Any changes to an approved color plan must be approved by the director before the colors of any taxi-cab vehicle are changed. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. The taxicab fleet association shall provide dispatch service to each of its registered taxicabs during the hours that any of its registered taxicabs are being operated. Dispatch service shall be conducted by two-way radio, mobile data terminal, software application used with a mobile device, or similar communication devices as approved by the director. This section does not preclude taxicab drivers from obtaining requests for service by other means, such as a street hail or telephone call directly to the driver.

B. The taxicab fleet association shall maintain a computerized dispatch log that fully and accurately documents the following information for each request for service made to any of its registered taxicabs:

• 1. The date and time of the request for service;
• 2. The origin and destination locations;
• 3. The taxicab driver and vehicle assigned;
• 4. The time the trip was completed; and
• 5. The amount paid for each trip.

C. Entries in the dispatch log shall be available for inspection in the association office for at least three years from the date of the request for service. (Ord. 2014-0019 § 13; Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

The taxicab fleet association shall promptly respond to all complaints received. Each complaint received and the actions taken in response thereto shall be documented and the records shall be maintained in the association office for at least one year from the date the complaint was resolved. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

The taxicab fleet association shall submit to the director a list of all of the types of charges and the rates to be charged by each of its registered taxicabs. In no event shall the types of charges or rates exceed those authorized by the city council pursuant to Section 5.136.050. Any change in the types of charges or rates shall be submitted to the director ten (10) days prior to making the change. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. At all times during the term of a taxicab fleet association permit issued pursuant to this chapter, the permittee shall continuously maintain in full force and effect general liability insurance. The insurance shall be at no cost to the city and shall comply with the following:

1. Provides coverage at least as broad as ISO CGL Form 00 01 on an occurrence basis for bodily injury, including death, of one or more persons, property damage and personal injury;

2. Provides limits of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence;

3. Provides that the city, its officers, employees and agents are to be named as additional insureds;

4. Covers all losses and damages as specified in Section 5.136.660; and

5. Stipulates that the policy will operate as primary insurance and that no other insurance covering the city or other named insured will be called on to contribute to a loss covered thereunder.

B. No person shall operate a taxicab fleet association without insurance coverage as required by this section in full force and effect.

C. Violation of subsection A of this section, shall be grounds for immediately revoking the taxicab fleet association permit pursuant to Section 5.136.700(B).

D. The certificates of general liability insurance and endorsements that establish compliance with subsection A of this section shall be maintained in the association office for at least three years after the date that the insurance policy expires. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

The taxicab fleet association permittee shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless the city, its officers, employees and agents from and against all actions, losses, damages, liability, costs and expenses of every type and description, including, but not limited to, attorneys' fees, to which any or all of them may be subjected by reason of, or resulting from, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, the acts or omissions of the permittee or the permittee's agents, officers, employees or registered taxicab drivers, directly or indirectly arising from the operation of the taxicab fleet association. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)

A. No person shall operate a taxicab fleet association unless the city has completed a criminal background check for each of its owners, officers, directors, partners, agents and other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association.

B. If, during the term of a taxicab fleet association permit, any person joins that association as an owner, officer, director, partner, agent or other persons vested with the authority to manage or direct the affairs of the association, the permittee shall notify the director and submit the information required by the director to conduct a criminal background check on that person no later than three calendar days of that person joining the association. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A above, the permittee may continue to operate the taxicab fleet association while the city conducts the background check on the person who joined the association. (Ord. 2010-028 § 2)