ARTICLE 19 TAXICABS
Section 19.21. Purpose
The purpose of this article is to reasonably protect the safety and welfare of persons who use taxicabs.
Section 19-22. Definitions
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
(1) Manifest: A daily record, prepared by a taxicab driver, of all trips made by the taxicab which he or she
operates, showing the time and place of origin and destination of each trip and the amount of the fare.
(2) Owner: Any person to whom a taxicab certificate has been issued.
(3) Taxicab: Any motor vehicle seating eight (8) or fewer passengers and the driver and operating upon the
streets of the town, on call or demand, accepting or soliciting passengers for hire. This definition shall not include
motor vehicles or motor vehicle carriers defined in chapter 62 of the General Statues.
(4) Taxicab Certificate: A certificate issued by the taxicab inspector indicating that the owner apparently meets
the requirements of this article and is authorized to operate a taxicab within the Town. Each taxicab certificate shall
apply to a separate vehicle.
(5) Taxicab Inspector: The Police Department has been designated to be the inspector of taxicabs and the
administrator of taxicab certificates.
Section 19-23 Taxicab Certificates Required
No person shall operate any taxicab in the town without first obtaining a taxicab certificate from the taxicab
inspector. In order to receive a taxicab certificate, applicants must satisfactorily comply with the following
requirements:
(1) Provide complete information regarding the owner and company name, legal address, telephone numbers,
owner driver’s license number, and owner social security number.
(2) Provide complete identification information regarding the vehicle to be used.
(3) Provide information demonstrating that the applicant has a reliable means of receiving calls for service and
dispatching taxicabs to provide services.
(4) Provide information showing that the applicant has required taxicab insurance coverage.
(5) Demonstrate that the proposed taxicab vehicle meets state inspection requirements, is relatively free of
interior and exterior damage or deterioration, is clean, and is in good operating condition.
(6) Demonstrate that the operator does not own any delinquent town or county taxes.
(7) Affirm that the applicant has read, is familiar with, and will comply with the taxicab requirements of this
article.
In addition to the above minimum requirements, the taxicab inspector may take into consideration other factors
related to the ability of the applicant to safely and honestly provide transportation services to the public. These
factors may include, but are not limited to, criminal records, personal and company traffic violations, evidence of
good character, and history of previous compliance with town ordinances.
Section 19-24. Taxicab Certificate Issuance, Denial, Suspension, Revocation, Transfers.
(a) Certificate Issuance. Persons who apparently meet the requirements of this article shall be issued a taxicab
certificate by the taxicab inspector. Certificates shall be issued in writing, shall be effective for the calendar year,
and shall be issued separately for each taxicab. Application, renewal, inspection, and transfer fees, as may be
approved from time to time by the town council, shall be charged for each certificate.
(b) Certificate Denial. Taxicab certificates may be denied if an applicant does not satisfactorily meet the
requirements of this article of fails to provide required information.
(c ) Suspensions and Revocations: Taxicab certificates may be suspended or revoked if the applicant provides
false information in his or her application, violates the requirements of this article, fails to continuously meet the
standards of this article during the term of the certificate, or improperly transfers the certificate to another taxicab.
Change of ownership of a taxicab shall automatically revoke the certificate for that taxicab, except as provided
below for transfers.
(d) Appeals. Decisions made by the taxicab inspector regarding issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a
taxicab inspector may be appealed to the Town Manager.
(e) Certificate Transfers. Taxicab certificates may be transferred to another vehicle owned by the same owner
upon application to, inspection by, and approved by the taxicab inspector. Certificates may not be transferred from
owners to other owners.
Section 19-25. Taxicab Operating Standards.
Taxicab owners and operators shall continuously comply with the following standards and requirements.
(1) The name of the company or owner shall be clearly and visibly displayed on both sides of the vehicle, along
with the company telephone number.
(2) Rates and fares shall be clearly and visibly displayed within the taxicab or shall be provided to customers in
writing. If the rate or fare is based on mileage, the customer must be given a reasonable opportunity to verify the
mileage, by observation of a meter or of the vehicle odometer.
(3) The driver’s name and driver’s license number shall be clearly and legibly displayed within the taxicab or
shall be provided to customers in writing.
(4) A daily manifest shall be kept by the driver of each taxicab and shall be available for inspection, by the
taxicab inspector and/or law enforcement officers, in the owner’s possession for a period of at least one (1) year.
(5) The owner shall apply for and obtain a current business privilege license for conducting a taxicab business
within the town.
(6) The owner shall maintain a policy of liability and property damage insurance for each taxicab with at least
the following levels of coverage: death or injury to one (1) person per accident, one hundred thousand dollars
($100,00.00); death or injury to more than one (1) person in an accident, three hundred thousand dollars
($300,000.00); property damage in one (1) accident, one hundred thousand ($100,000.00). The owner shall also
maintain uninsured motorist coverage in these amounts to protect passengers in the event of an accident involving
an uninsured motorist.
(7) Taxicabs shall be kept reasonably clean and in safe operating condition at all times. The taxicab inspector
shall conduct an inspection of each taxicab at least every six (6) months and shall have the right to enter and
inspect a town-licensed taxicab at any reasonable time to insure that it complies with this article.
(8) Taxicabs operators shall faithfully observe state and local traffic safety laws.
(9) Articles left in taxicabs shall be returned to their rightful owners, if known, or turned over to the taxicab
inspector within twenty-four (24) hours.
(10) Taxicab certificate holders shall provide at all times an up-to-date schedule of rates and fares for their
taxicab to the taxicab inspector.
(11) Accidents involving taxicabs shall be immediately reported to the relevant law enforcement jurisdiction,
and reports of accidents involving taxicabs licensed by the town shall be submitted to the taxicab inspector.
(12) Owners shall be carefully screen persons hired to be taxicabs driver, shall investigate the criminal and
driving records of potential drivers, and shall not employ as drivers any persons whose criminal or driving record
indicates a significant risk that the safety or welfare of passengers might be jeopardized. Particular emphasis shall
be placed on histories of driving while impaired, careless or reckless driving, multiple traffic violations, and crimes
of violence, theft, or financial dishonesty. The names, criminal and driving records of taxicab drivers shall also be
submitted to the taxicab inspector, and the taxicab inspector shall have the right to disqualify any person from
driving a taxicab upon finding that person’s criminal or driving record indicates a significant risk to the safety or
welfare of passengers.
This Ordinance amended and adopted by the Holly Ridge Town Council on August 12, 2008.