Taxicab rules: purpose, scope, and definitions

(a) Because the transporting of passengers or property for hire in a taxicab is a vital and integral part of the public transportation system in the city, it shall be supervised, regulated, and controlled exclusively pursuant to this article. (b) For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. Cruising. The movement or standing of a taxicab on a public highway or at a public place, for the purpose of searching for or soliciting a passenger for hire. Director. The director of customer services or the director’s duly authorized subordinates. Passenger for Hire. A person transported in a taxicab for consideration. Property for Hire. Property transported in a taxicab for consideration. Road Taxi Stand. A space set aside on a public street or city-controlled facility by the council for the exclusive use of taxicabs. Shared-Ride Taxicab. A taxicab used in transporting passengers to and from unrelated locations, which locations may be other than terminals or fixed stands. Taxicab. A vehicle that is manufactured to carry no more than eight passengers (excluding the driver), operated by a taxicab driver, that is: (1) Used in the movement of passengers for hire on the public highways; (2) Directed to a destination by the passenger for hire or on the passenger’s behalf; and (3) Operated on call or demand. Taxicab Company. Any person or entity which rents or leases taxicabs to certified taxi drivers to be used or operated as taxicabs, or which operates as a central dispatch service for one or more taxicabs. Taxicab Driver. A person duly licensed as a driver of a motor vehicle who has obtained a valid taxicab driver’s certificate from the department or has been certified by a taxicab company. Total Stoppage. The complete halting of bus transportation service furnished by a public bus system, resulting from a labor strike or a disaster, or both. Waiting Time. The period during which a taxicab is standing at the direction of or on behalf of a passenger for hire and the time consumed due to traffic delays while transporting a passenger for hire, which time is automatically computed by the taximeter when the speed of the vehicle falls at or below the speed at which the fare computed using the basic distance rate is equal to the fare computed using the basic time rate. )