Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 1 General

This chapter is to further the public convenience and necessity of transportation services by taxicabs in order to serve promptly, adequately and efficiently the needs and convenience of the general public.

(§ 1, Ord. 1401-20 (CM), eff. March 26, 2020)

For purposes of this chapter, certain words and phrases are defined and shall be construed as set forth herein unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended.

(a) “Chief of Police” shall mean the Chief of the Watsonville Police Department, or their duly authorized agents and representatives.

(b) “Council” shall mean the Watsonville City Council.

(c) For Hire. A vehicle is “for hire” if any fare, fee, charge or other consideration is payable for the transportation service of the vehicle, whether paid or not.

(d) “Operator” shall mean the human being or legal entity registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles of the State of California (“DMV”) as the owner of a vehicle or vehicles for hire, or who has a legal right to possession of such vehicle pursuant to a lease or rental agreement. The act or omission of any operator’s officer, agent, employee or independent contractor, or of any driver whose services are engaged by any of the above, is for all purposes the act or omission of the operator of the for-hire transportation services regulated by this chapter.

(e) “Taxicab” shall mean a passenger vehicle, designed for carrying not more than eight (8) persons, excluding the driver, used to transport persons for hire on public streets; the compensation for which is determined by a taximeter or flat rate which determines a charge for distance traveled and/or time expended.

(f) “Substantially located” shall mean in reference to a city or county that the taxicab company meets any of the following:

(1) Has its primary business address within that city’s or county’s jurisdiction.

(2) The total number of prearranged and non-prearranged trips that originate within that city’s or county’s jurisdiction account for the largest share of the taxicab company’s total number of trips over the previous calendar year, as determined annually.

(3) A taxicab company that starts taxi operations after January 1, 2019, in reference to a city or county in which that company had not operated before January 1, 2019, the following:

(i) In the first year of its operation, the jurisdiction where that taxicab company has its primary business address.

(ii) After the first year of operation, it meets either of the tests described in subsection (f)(1) or (2) of this section.

(g) “Taximeter” is any instrument or device approved for use under the applicable laws of the State, which mechanically or electronically calculates the charge for the use of a taxicab. The taximeter registers such charge by means of figures, including dollars and cents, calculated by an initial charge and thereafter a charge for distance traveled and/or waiting time.

(§ 1, Ord. 1401-20 (CM), eff. March 26, 2020)