Title
Ordinance to Amend and Reenact the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia by Amending Chapter 38, Vehicles for Hire, Article II, Division 1, Entitled, “Generally,” Sec. 38-19 and Sec. 38-20, and to Article II, Division 4, Entitled Article II Entitled “Taximeters,” Sec. 38-107, Sec. 38-108, Sec. 38-109, and Sec. 38-110 to update the requirements for taxicabs and taximeters.
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
In 2022, City Council made amendments to the City's Taxicab Ordinance to update the requirements for taxicabs. Since that time, additional items have come to staff's attention that we believe should be modernized in order to enable taxicabs to operate and service Hampton citizens more effectively. The proposed amendments make the following changes: 1) taxicabs do not need an identification light to indicate when they have a passenger; 2) taxicabs can have their trade name painted on the outside of the vehicle; and, 3) taxicabs can operate with electronic taximeters.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve the amendment.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, that Sections 38-19 and 38-20 of Division 1, Article II, and Section 38-107, Sec. 38-108, Sec. 38-109, Sec. 38-110 of Division 4, Article II, Chapter 38 of the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia be adopted to read as follows:
Chapter 38 - VEHICLES FOR HIRE
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ARTICLE II. - TAXICABS
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DIVISION 1. GENERALLY
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Sec. 38-19. - General vehicle requirements.
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(f) All public vehicles operated in the city shall be equipped with a taximeter. All taximeters shall be kept accurate and in proper condition and repair and sufficiently lighted so that the figures thereon shall be plainly visible to the passengers.
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• Sec. 38-20. - Identification of vehicles, limitations on advertising.
(a) Every public vehicle shall bear, on the outside and on at least two (2) sides thereof, the trade name or company name of the certificate holder, in painted characters not less than two (2) inches high and plainly visible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet. On two (2) sides and the back of the vehicle, the owner's cab number shall be painted in characters three (3) inches high and plainly visible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet.
(b) No person shall use the term “taxi” or "taxicab" in any advertising or hold himself out as a taxicab or public vehicle, or represent himself to be such by means of advertisements, signs, trade names or otherwise, unless he has previously thereto complied with the conditions, regulations and restrictions prescribed by this chapter.
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DIVISION 4. - TAXIMETERS
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Sec. 38-107. - Sealing Required.
No person shall operate or permit to be operated any taxicab equipped with a taximeter pursuant to the provisions of this division, unless the taximeter has been installed and sealed by a state certified technician with the official designated seal and verified by the chief of police or his designee. Sealing shall not be required for taximeters that use Global Positioning System (GPS) software to determine distance traveled.
Sec. 38-108. - Visibility.
Taximeters installed in taxicabs pursuant to the provisions of this division shall be so placed in the taxicab that the amount to be charged shall be well lighted and readily visible to a passenger riding in such cab.
Sec. 38-109. - Unlawful Operation of Taximeter.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of a taxicab, while transporting a passenger, to prevent the taxicab’s taximeter from operating properly. It shall be unlawful for any driver to cause such taximeter to record while such vehicle is not actually employed, or to fail to place the taximeter into a nonrecording position at the termination of each and every service.
Sec. 38-110. - Maintenance.
It shall be the duty of every owner operating a taxicab to keep the taximeter installed in such taxicab pursuant to the provisions of this division in proper working condition, so that such taximeter will, at all times, correctly and accurately indicate the correct charge for the distance traveled or for the distance traveled plus waiting time.