Title
Ordinance to Amend and Reenact the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia by Amending Chapter 38, Vehicles for Hire, Article II Entitled, “Taxicabs,” Division 1 - “Generally” Pertaining to Inspections of Taxicabs and Equipment
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
City Code section 38-24 currently provides for biannual inspections by the Hampton Police Division ("HPD") of all taxicabs operating within the City. The City has received a request to change the inspection to an annual inspection. This change would bring Hampton in line with Newport News, which only requires annual inspections. HPD has indicated its support of the amendment provided that if a taxicab fails an inspection, it will need to be reinspected again in six months, rather than 12. The code also continues to allow HPD to inspect a taxicab at anytime outside of the scheduled inspections. In addition to benefiting the taxicab companies operating in Hampton, this amendment will save staff time for HPD. Currently one officer provides all of the biannual inspections for approximately 88 taxicabs, in addition to other duties. There is a $50.00 inspection fee for each inspection, meaning that the City will lose approximately $4,400 in revenue from this amendment, provided that all taxicabs pass the initial annual inspection.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve the amendment.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, that Section 38-24 of Division 1, 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
. . . .
ARTICLE II. - TAXICABS
DIVISION 1. - GENERALLY
. . . .
Sec. 38-24. - Inspection of vehicle and equipment therein, correction of defects, fee.
Each public vehicle and the equipment therein within the city may be inspected by the chief of police, or his designee, at any time. If any such vehicle is found to be in an unsafe, unfit or unclean condition, the owner thereof shall be notified at once that such vehicle shall not be operated thereafter until such defective or unclean condition has been remedied.
In addition, each public vehicle must be submitted to the Chief of Police no less than once a year for a routine inspection. If a public vehicle and the equipment therein is submitted for inspection within 30 days of such inspection being due, and passes such inspection, that inspection shall be valid for 12 months. If a public vehicle does not meet these requirements, the owner shall remedy the condition to the satisfaction of the chief of police, or his designee, and the public vehicle shall be submitted for inspection again in six months. An inspection fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be paid for each said inspection.