4. The commissioner of licenses shall cause an examination to be made of the taximeter attached to any public hack, to see that the same is accurate, before issuing a license to such public hack. 5. The commissioner of licenses is hereby authorized and empowered to establish reasonable rules and regulations for the inspection of public hacks and their appurtenances, their construction, their condition of fitness, and the time and places of their inspection, as may seem to him necessary or convenient for the proper conduct of his office or for the benefit of the public. 6. If, upon inspection, the vehicle is found to be of proper character and in proper condition, in accordance with the provisions of this article and the rules and regulations so established, and upon payment of the license fees hereinafter set forth, the same shall be licensed by delivering to the owner a card of such size and form as may be prescribed by the commissioner of licenses, which card shall contain the official license number of the hack so licensed, together with the date of inspection of the same, and a statement to the effect that, in case of any complaint, the commissioner shall be notified giving the license number of the cab. Each license card shall be signed by the commissioner or by a duly authorized deputy, and, suitably framed to protect it from injury, shall be affixed by the owner to such conspicuous place in the interior of the vehicle as shall be designated by the commissioner or his deputy. Such cards shall contain blank spaces upon which an entry shall be made of the date of every inspection of the vehicle by the inspector who inspects it. They shall be of a distinctly different color each year, and, in the case of public hacks driven by mechanical power, the license number assigned hereunder shall in each case be the same as that assigned to the vehicle by the secretary of state of the State of New York for that year, pursuant to law. 7. At all times there shall also be affixed to a conspicuous and indispensable part of each public hack a small plate, not exceeding 6 inches in diameter, which shall bear the license number of the vehicle. The design of such plates shall be prescribed by the commissioner of licenses and shall be changed annually. 8. The following license fees shall be paid : For each cab-- For each coach__ For each sight-seeing car_ $5.00 10.00 10.00 Such license fees shall be in lieu of and not in addition to any fees heretofore established and, except as above provided, no charge shall be made. In the case of licenses issued on or after August 1 in each year hereafter, one-half only of the above fees shall be paid. 9. The department of licenses shall keep a register of the name of each person owning or operating a vehicle licensed under this article, together with the license number, description, make, and necessary dimensions of such vehicle, with the date and complete record of inspections made of it. Such records shall be open to the inspection of the public at all reasonable times and shall be public records, of which extracts may be certified by the commissioner of licenses, or his deputy duly authorized, for use as evidence. 10. Any owner or driver of a vehicle not licensed and equipped in accordance with the provisions of this section, or of a vehicle the license of which has been suspended or revoked, who engages in the business of operating a public hack as defined hereby, or attempts to engage in such business, or solicits for hire passengers upon the public streets or highways of the city of New York, shall, upon conviction before any city magistrate, be punishable by fine of not over $50 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both. 11. Every public hack driven by mechanical power, seating four passengers or less, shall have affixed thereto a taximeter of a size and design approved by the commissioner of licenses. No license shall be issued to a public hack until its taximeter shall have been inspected and found to be accurate, and no person shall use or permit to be used upon any public hack a taximeter which shall be in such condition as to be over 5 per cent incorrect, to the prejudice of any passenger, under a penalty of $50 for each and every offense. 12. After sundown the face of every taximeter shall be illuminated by a suitable light, so arranged as to throw a continuous steady light upon the face thereof. A violation of this provision shall render the offender liable, upon a conviction before a city magistrate, to a fine not exceeding $10 or, in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment in the city prison for a period not exceeding 10 days. 13. No taximeter affixed to a public hack propelled by steam, gasoline, electricity, or other motor power shall be operated from any wheel to which the power is applied, under penalty of revocation of the license of said vehicle and a fine of $25. 14. Public hack licenses granted under this article may be revoked or suspended at any time by the commissioner of licenses if the public hack be not kept at all times in good condition and appearance, clean, and safe; and, in case of horse-drawn vehicles, if the horse or horses are unfit for use. The commissioner, through his deputies and inspectors, shall maintain constant vigilance over all public hacks licensed under this section to see that all such vehicles are kept in a condition of continued fitness for public use, and to this end the commissioner, through his deputies and inspectors, shall inspect all public hacks from time to time, or on the complaint of any citizen, or as aften as may be necessary. A report in writing of all such inspections shall promptly be transmitted to the department of licenses. Licenses when so suspended or revoked shall not be reissued until the public vehicle and all its appurtenances shall be put into fit condition for use by the public to the satisfaction of the commissioner of licenses. SEC. 319. Drivers' licenses. 1. Every person driving a public hack must be licensed as such driver. 2. No person shall be so licensed unless he fulfills the following qualifications: (a) He must be of the age of 21 years or over. (b) He must be of sound physique, with good eyesight, and not subject to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble, or any other infirmity of body or mind which might render him unfit for the safe operation of a public hack. (c) He must be able to read and write the English language, and be clean in dress and person. (d) He must not be addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors. (e) He must produce, on forms to be provided by the commissioner of licenses for that purpose, sworn testimonials of good character from two reputable citizens of the city of New York who have known him personally and observed his conduct during one year next preceding the date of his application, and a further testimonial on a form provided for that purpose from his last employer, unless in the estimation of the commissioner sufficient reason is given for its omission. (f) He must fill out, upon a blank form to be provided by the department of licenses for that purpose, a statement giving his full name, residence, places of residence for five years previous to moving to his present address, age, color, height, color of eyes and hair, place of birth, length of time he has resided in the city, whether a citizen of the United States, places of previous employment, whether married or single, whether he has ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor, whether he has been summoned to court, whether he has previously been licensed as a driver or chauffer, and if so whether his license has ever been revoked, and for what cause; which statement shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant, and filed in the department of licenses as a permanent record of that office. Any false statement made by applicant for a license shall be punishable by a fine of $25, and a record of such false statement shall be sent by the commissioner of licenses to the district attorney of the county in which the application was made. (g) He must, if required by the department of licenses, in order to demonstrate his skill and ability to safely handle his vehicle, drive the vehicle through a crowded section of the city accompanied by an inspector of licenses. (h) He shall be examined, by or under the supervision of the commissioner of licenses, as to his knowledge of the provisions of this article, the police traffic regulations, and the geography of the city of New York, and, if the result of the examination be unsatisfactory, he shall be refused a license. (i) Each applicant for a driver's license must file with his application two recent photographs of himself, of a size which may be easily attached to his license; one of the photographs shall be attached to his license when issued, the other to be filed with the application in the department of licenses. The photograph shall be attached to the license in such a way that it can not be removed and another photograph substituted without detection. Each licensed driver shall, upon demand of an inspector of licenses, a policeman, or passenger, exhibit his license and photograph for inspection. In case the application for a license is denied, the photograph shall be returned to the applicant by the department. 3. The commissioner of licenses is hereby authorized and empowered to provide forms for applicants for drivers' licenses hereunder, and he may establish reasonable rules and regulations governing the issue of drivers' licenses not inconsistent herewith. 4. Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the conditions herein established, the applicant shall be licensed by delivering to him a license, which shall be in such form as to contain a photograph of the licensee, the licensee's signature, and blank spaces upon which a record may be made of any arrest of the driver or serious complaint against him. Any licensee who defaces, removes, or obliterates any official entry upon his license shall be punished by the revocation of his license. There shall also be delivered to each licensee a metal badge of such form and style as the commissioner of licenses shall prescribe, with his license number thereon, which must, under penalty of revocation of the license, be constantly conspicuously displayed on the outside of the driver's coat when he is engaged in his employment. The department of licenses shall keep a complete record of each license issued to a driver, and of all renewals, suspensions, and revocations thereof, which record shall be kept on file with the original application of the driver for a license. 5. Drivers' licenses shall be issued as of February 1 in each and every year, and shall be valid to and including the 31st day of January next succeeding. The commissioner of licenses may renew same from year to year by noting the fact of such renewal on the licenses. 6. A driver, in applying for a renewal of his license under this article, may make such application upon a form to be furnished by the department of licenses, entitled "Application for Renewal of License," which shall be filled out with the full name and address of the applicant for such renewal, together with a statement of the date upon which his original license was granted and the number thereof. The following license fees shall be paid for drivers' licenses: For each original license___. $1.00 .50 Any person now holding a public driver's license, under the provisions of any former ordinance or regulation, shall be entitled to have the proportion of his fee for his unexpired license apply in payment of the original license issued under this article. 7. Drivers' licenses may be suspended or revoked at any time by the commissioner of licenses or any city magistrate. The fact of such suspension shall be noted on the license, together with a statement of the reasons therefor, and the driver shall be deprived of his badge by the official suspending or revoking such license. When the license is suspended or revoked by an official other than the commissioner of licenses, the driver's badge and a note of the revocation or suspension shall be forthwith forwarded to the department of licenses; the badge to be returned at the expiration of the period for which the license was suspended. A second suspension for the same reason, or, in any case, a third suspension of a driver's license, shall revoke the license. No driver whose license has been revoked shall again be licensed as a public hack driver in the city of New York. Whenever a license is suspended or revoked by a city magistrate, notice of such revocation, with the cause therefor, shall be forwarded to the commissioner of licenses. The commissioner shall promptly notify the police department whenever a license issued under this section is revoked. 8. Any person not having been duly licensed as a public hack driver, or any person whose license as such driver has been revoked, or any person whose license has been suspended and who, during the time of such suspension, drives for hire a public hack upon the streets or highways of the city of New York, shall, upon conviction before any city magistrate, be punished by a fine of not over $50, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 days, or both. SEC. 320. Hack stands: All public hack stands heretofore designated by the board of aldermen are hereby abolished. 2. All special hack stands are hereby abolished and licenses for the same shall not be issued hereafter. 3. The commissioner of licenses is hereby authorized to locate and designate as public hack stands the space alongside the curb adjacent to property used as public parks, public buildings, railroad stations, steamship and ferry landings, hotels, restaurants, theaters, and the center of any street or avenue where the roadway, exclusive of the sidewalk, is 30 feet in width or more. 4. The commissioner of licenses may also designate spaces beside the curb adjacent to subway entrances and elevated railway steps as stands for a limited number of public hacks. He shall fix the number of public hacks that shall be allowed to stand at any of the places designated by him, and the department of licenses shall provide a metal sign to be attached to a post or stanchion adjacent to the said stand, on which shall be placed the number and kind of vehicles that will be allowed on that particular stand. 5. Owners of any property may apply to the commissioner of licenses for the establishment of a public hack stand adjacent to their premises, stating the number of public hacks they desire to come on said stand, and the kind of locomotion to be used, whether gasoline or electric motor, or horses. The application shall be granted solely in the discretion of the commissioner, and may be revoked by him at any time. If granted, there shall be delivered to the applicant a metal sign, to be affixed to a stanchion on the curb or other conspicuous place, setting forth the kinds of public hacks and the number thereof that will be allowed on said stand. 6. No public hack stand shall be established in the center of any street opposite to the premises where the owner has applied for and received the permit last above mentioned during the time that said permit is in operation. 7. No public hack shall stand at any hack stand, located and designated by the commissioner of licenses in accordance with subdivision 3 of this section, adjacent to the curb of the sidewalk, within 15 feet of the entrance to any building erected on the property adjacent to the said hack stand. The restricted area shall be determined by measuring 15 feet on each side of a point on the curb opposite the middle of the entrance to the adjacent building. No hack shall stand within 5 feet of any crosswalk. 8. Only public hacks, in such numbers and of such kinds as are set forth on the metal sign, may remain at the stand while waiting for employment; and only in single file, pointed in accordance with the traffic regulations. No public hack standing at the head of any such line shall refuse to carry any orderly person applying for a hack who agrees to pay the proper rate of fare; but this shall not prevent any person from selecting any hack he may desire on the stand, whether it be at the head of the line or not. As the hacks leave the line with passengers those behind shall move up, and any public hack seeking a space on the stand shall only approach the same from the rear end of the stand and move up as far as possible to the last vehicle already on the line. 9. The commissioner of licenses may suspend or revoke the license of any public hack driver who shall violate the above provisions by standing in front of the entrance of any building, within the prohibited space, after his passengers desiring to leave have alighted, or who shall attempt to stand in said prohibited space waiting for passengers, or who shall violate any of the other provisions of this section. SEC. 321. Rates of fare: 1. Maximum rates of fare shall be as follows: Motor vehicles (excepting sight-seeing cars) for not more than two passengers; For the first half-mile or any, fraction thereof. For each succeeding one-quarter mile, or any fraction thereof. For three or more passengers: For the first half-mile, or any fraction thereof__ For each succeeding one-sixth mile, or any fraction thereof 2. Sight-seeing cars. $0.30 10 .40 .10 No rates are hereby established for sight-eeing cars, but a schedule of the rates charged for each trip shall before the trip be prominently displayed upon the car, and a charge greater, or attempt to charge any passenger a sum greater than that set forth in said schedule shall be deemed a violation of this ordinance. 3. Horse-drawn vehicles. For cabs: For the first mile, or any fraction thereof_ For each succeeding one-half mile, or any fraction thereof. For coaches: $0. 50 .20 For the first mile, or any fraction thereof_ For each succeeding one-half mile, or any fraction thereof___ 70 For the first hour, or any part thereof_ Hourly rates (applying only to horse-drawn vehicles when shopping or calling, and not including park or road driving, nor driving more than five miles from the starting point): .30 $1.50 .50 In case of public hacks on which taximeters are not affixed, when driving on the numbered streets or numbered and lettered avenues in the Borough of Manhattan, 20 blocks north and south, and 7 blocks between the numbered and lettered avenues, constitute a mile for the purposes of this ordinance. The rate card, as provided for hereafter, shall state the number of blocks constituting a mile in the Borough of Manhattan. 4. Applying both to motor-driven and horse-drawn vehicles: For waiting time, at the rate of $1.50 per hour. For each piece of luggage carried outside, 20 cents. No charge shall, however, be made for hand bags and suit cases. Ferriage and tolls in all cases to be paid by the party using the vehicle. 5. A copy of the foregoing rates of fare shall be furnished by the department of licenses to each public hack, and shall at all times be posted in a conspicuous place in the inside thereof. 6. The department of licenses shall provide each public hack with a printed receipt pad, and every public hackman shall keep on hand a supply of the same, and shall, whenever so requested by a pa senger, give the passenger a receipt on such printed official form for the fare paid. 7. Any violation of the provisions of this article, or any charge or any attempt to charge any passenger a greater rate of fare than that to which the public hack is entitled under the provisions of this article, shall render the offender liable, upon conviction thereof before any city magi trate, to a fine of not exceeding $10 or, in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment in the city prison for a period not exceeding 10 days. SEC. 322. Miscellaneous provi ions. 1. It shall be unlawful: For any person to use or permit to be used, or drive for hire, a public hack equipped with a taximeter not having the case thereof sealed and the cover and gear thereof intact; For any driver of a public hack equipped with a taximeter or other similar device, while carrying pas engers or under employment, to display the signal affixed to such taximeter or other similar device in such position as to denote such vehicle is not employed, or in such position as to denote that he is employed at a rate of fare different from that to which he is entitled under the provisions of this ordinance; For any person to drive a public hack on which has been affixed any taximeter other than one duly inspected and approved. A violation of any of the provisions of this subdivision shall render the offender or offenders liable, upon conviction before any city magistrate, to a fine of not more than $50 for each and every offense; and, in default of payment of such fine, he may be committed to pri on until the same shall be paid, but such imprisonment shall not exceed 10 days. 2. Every driver of a public hack, immediately after the termination of any hiring or employment, must carefully search such hack for any property lost or left therein, and any such property, unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner, must be taken to the nearest police tation and deposited with the officer in charge, within 24 hours after the finding thereof, who shall forward a written notice to the department of licenses, with brief particulars and description of the property. 3. Every driver of a public hack shall have the right to demand payment of the legal fare in advance, and may refuse employment unless so prepaid, but no driver of a public hack shall otherwise refuse or neglect to convey any orderly person or persons upon request anywhere in the city, unless previously engaged or unable to do so. No driver of a licensed hack shall carry any other person than the passenger fir t employing him without the consent of said passenger. 4. All disputes as to the lawful rate of fare shall be determined by the policeofficer in charge of the police station nearest to the place where such dispute is had; failure to comply with such determination shall subject the offending party to a charge of disorderly conduct, punishable by a fine of not exceeding $10, or, in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment for not more than 10 days. 5. No public hack while awaiting employment by passengers shall stand on any public street or place, other than at or upon a public hack stand designated or established, in accordance with this article, nor shall any driver of such hack seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving his hack to and fro in a short space before, or by otherwise interfering with the proper and orderly access to or egress from any theater, hall, hotel, public resort, railway or ferry 173006-2014 |