San Bruno Municipal Code Ch. 7.40 Vehicles for Hire

City.

The term "city," as used in this chapter, is defined to be the city of San Bruno.

Driver.

"Driver" is defined to be every person in charge of, or operating, any passenger-carrying motor-propelled vehicle as defined in this chapter, either as owner or employee or under the direction of owners or employees.

Owner.

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

Stand.

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

Taxicab.

A "taxicab" is defined to be a motor vehicle equipped with a taximeter, and 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.

Taximeter.

A "taximeter" is defined to be a mechanical device attached to a vehicle for hire, by means of which device the authorized charge for hire of such vehicle is mechanically calculated on the basis of distance traveled, or for waiting time or a combination of both, which charges shall be indicated upon such mechanical device by means of figures in dollars and cents.

(Prior code §§ 23-1—23-6)

A. No person shall engage in the business of operating any taxicab within the city without having first obtained a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the city manager. All persons applying to the city manager for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the operation of one or more taxicabs shall file with him or her a fully completed application therefor, on forms provided by the city manager, and shall provide such other information as the city manager may require.

B. No certificate of convenience and necessity shall be granted until the city manager shall have found that the public convenience and necessity require the proposed service.

C. Before an application is acted upon, the chief of police shall cause an investigation to be made and shall report his or her findings, in writing, to the city manager, the findings to include information relative to the public demand for additional taxicab service, the adequacy of existing service, the financial responsibility and experience of the applicant, the number, kind, color scheme, and type of equipment to be used and such other relevant information as the city manager may deem advisable and necessary.

D. Having decided that the public convenience and necessity require the additional taxicab service and, having approved all phases of the application, the city manager shall grant certificates of public convenience and necessity to the applicant requesting same.

E. The city manager, in his or her discretion, shall determine the number of taxicabs which an applicant or applicants may operate.

F. The provisions of this section shall not affect the number of taxicabs operating with valid licenses on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

G. Every owner operating a licensed taxicab or taxicabs on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section shall be presumed to have established prima facie evidence of public convenience and necessity for the licensing of a taxicab or taxicabs actually in operation and the city manager, upon written application as in this section provided and received by him or her not later than fifteen days after the effective date of this chapter, shall grant a certificate or certificates to such owner for such taxicab or taxicabs. No fee shall be charged for such application.

H. All taxicabs licensed in accordance with the terms of this chapter shall have their licenses renewed for each succeeding year without a finding of convenience and necessity by the city manager, provided all other requirements of this chapter are complied with.

I. If the services for which a certificate is granted hereunder is discontinued, or if the person sells or discontinues his or her business for a period of fifteen consecutive days, the certificates granted hereunder shall automatically be cancelled.

J. Upon finding that the public convenience and necessity does or does not justify the issuance of a certificate the city manager shall notify the applicant of his or her findings. If notified in the affirmative, the applicant shall, within sixty days after notification, furnish the city manager with any additional information the city manager may request. If the city manager finds that the applicant is the owner of the vehicles for which a certificate is desired, is satisfied that the vehicle is a safe conveyance and that requirements of this chapter are complied with, he or she shall notify the city clerk who shall issue a license to the applicant upon payment of the proper fees and the furnishing of the bond or insurance required.

(Prior code § 23-7)

Each application for a permit under this chapter shall be accompanied by a good and sufficient bond or insurance policy, to be approved by the city manager, in the sum of one hundred thousand dollars on account of injuries to, or death of, any person in any one accident; and, subject to such limitation as respect injuries to, or death of, one person, three hundred thousand dollars on account of any one accident resulting in injury to, or death of, more than one person; and ten thousand dollars on account of damage to property in any one accident resulting from the operation of any vehicle to be operated by the applicant, together with satisfactory evidence of the prepayment of the premium thereon. Such bond or insurance policy shall refer to this chapter and to the permit application thereunder and shall specify that no cancellation thereof shall be effective without at least ten days notice to the city clerk.

(Prior code § 23-8)

A. No application for a license to operate a taxicab in this city shall be granted or renewed unless such vehicle is equipped with a taximeter of such type, style and design as may be approved by the city manager. Such taximeter shall at all times be subject to the inspection by the chief of police and upon discovery of any inaccuracy in such meter he or she shall remove, or cause to be removed, such vehicle equipped with such defective taximeter from the streets of the city until such time as the taximeter shall have been correctly repaired.

B. All charges for transportation of passengers in taxicabs operated in the city must be based on the charges indicated by the reading on such taximeters. No owner, operator or driver of any taxicab operated in the city shall charge more or less than the amount indicated on the taximeter.

C. Rates shall be set by resolution of the city council.

(Prior code § 23-9)

A. Every owner and operator of taxicabs may adopt any trade name, design, color scheme or lettering which shall be approved by the city manager.

B. Each taxicab shall have the name of the taxicab company and a serial number painted on each side, each name having letters of at least two inches in height. Each taxicab, in addition to the serial numbers on the sides, shall have serial numbers on the front and back, same to be no less than three inches in height. All names and serial numbers shall be in a color which will contrast distinctly with the color of the taxicab.

C. No person shall cause or permit a taxicab to appear with a name, design or color scheme or painting not in accordance with this section.

(Prior code § 23-10)

The owner or person in charge of one or more taxicabs shall keep a daily record of each individual taxicab, the record to show the name of the driver, the trips made, indicating the place and time of each pickup and destination point. Such records shall at all times be open to inspection by members of the police department.

(Prior code § 23-11)

The city manager is authorized to establish such taxicab stands as will serve the best interests of the public. He or she shall designate such stands by a stanchion or sign bearing the legend that it is a taxicab stand. In such taxicab stands, taxicabs shall park only while awaiting passengers for hire but in no case for more than one hour.

(Prior code § 23-12)

The city manager is authorized to establish and adopt rules and regulations governing the issuance of public licenses and the inspection of public vehicles and their appurtenances as are reasonable and necessary and not inconsistent with the terms of this chapter.

(Prior code § 23-13)

A. It is a misdemeanor for any person to operate or permit to be operated, for hire, an unlicensed vehicle.

B. Owners of taxicab companies licensed in this city shall provide twenty-four-hour per-day service, seven days a week, and shall maintain and operate adequate radio communication between the taxicabs and their office at all times while in this city.

C. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and for the habitual violation of provisions herein the city clerk, upon recommendation of the city manager, shall revoke the license for the vehicle involved.

D. Whenever the city manager shall have refused to authorize a public vehicle license, or whatever the city clerk has suspended or revoked a public vehicle license, the applicant, within ten days after receiving notice of such denial, suspension, or revocation, may appeal to the city council. The city council may consider the appeal and render a decision. The city council's decision is final.

(Prior code § 23-14)

A. No person shall drive a taxicab in this city unless duly licensed as hereinafter provided. Taxicab drivers' licenses shall expire on June 30th of each year and a driver failing to renew his or her license within thirty days after the expiration date shall be required to apply for renewal in the same manner as that required when making an original application.

B. Every applicant for a taxi driving license shall file a completed application with the city clerk on a form provided by him. The form shall set forth such information as the city clerk may require and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a physician of San Bruno indicating that the applicant is free from any infirmities which would prevent his or her driving a public conveyance with safety.

C. Each applicant shall submit to fingerprinting and photographing by the police department for the police record and shall provide the police department with two recent passport type photos.

D. If the chief of police is satisfied that the applicant is a suitable and proper person to drive a taxicab he or she shall notify the city clerk in writing and shall issue a taxicab driver's license to the applicant.

E. The chief of police shall not issue a license if the applicant is under the age of twenty-one years, does not possess a valid license issued by the state, which permits the applicant to operate a taxicab, is, judging by his or her driving record, an unsafe driver, or is a convicted felon who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

F. Upon approval of an applicant, the chief of police shall issue a taxicab driver's license upon which shall be affixed a photograph of the driver and such other information as is necessary to identify the driver. The license shall be carried at all times when he or she is driving a taxicab and shall be displayed, on demand, to any police officer or citizen.

G. Conviction of driving while intoxicated shall operate as a revocation of any taxicab driver's license issued hereunder and such driver shall not be eligible for a new license for a period of one year from the date of such conviction.

H. The city manager is authorized and empowered to establish and adopt such additional rules and regulations governing the issuance of taxicab driver's licenses as may be reasonable and necessary.

I. An applicant whose license has been refused or revoked may appeal to the city manager within ten days after such refusal or revocation. The city manager may consider such appeal and his or her decision shall be final.

(Prior code § 23-15)