§ 18-46. Required.

(1)

No person shall operate or permit a taxicab or limousine owned or controlled by him or her to be operated as a vehicle for hire within the city without having first obtained a certificate from the city.

(2)

A person who owns or operates wheelchair-equipped vehicles for hire exclusively for the transportation of wheelchair-bound individuals for nonemergency medical reasons may be issued a certificate without the necessity of compliance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3) below, subsection (4) of Section 18-47, and Sections 18-48 and 18-49 of this chapter, but shall be required to comply with all other applicable provisions of Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, Division 4 and Division 5 of this chapter.

(3)

No certificate shall be issued to an applicant who does not meet the following requirements:

(a)

The applicant (or, if the applicant is a corporation, any officers, directors or stockholders thereof) shall not have been convicted of any felony or forfeited any bond in a criminal matter within the preceding 15 years of the date of application.

(b)

Each owner shall own and operate at least 5 taxicabs or 5 limousines approved and for which certificates have been issued for under this chapter; provided, however, those persons who, on the date of adoption of this ordinance, hold certificates issued under this chapter for less than 5 vehicles shall have a period of 6 months within which to increase the number of their permits up to 5. This request for such additional permits shall be exempt from the application requirements of section 18-47 and the public hearing requirements of section 18-48. However, such certificate holder shall be otherwise required to satisfy and comply with all other provisions of this chapter.

(c)

Each taxicab applicant who is issued, or will have issued to him or her, 10 or more permits must own and operate at least 1 wheelchair equipped vehicle for every 10 permits under this chapter.

(d)

Each certificate holder shall maintain a "Drug Free Workplace Program" at its place of business, pursuant to F.S. § 440.102. On or before March 31, 1994, and on or before the same date each year thereafter, each certificate holder shall certify to the city manager that the program has been established and is being implemented. Failure to so certify and implement the program shall be grounds for suspension or revocation of a certificate.

(Code 1966, § 23-2; Ord. No. 4141, § 2, 12-14-93; Ord. No. 4183, § 1, 9-27-94; Ord. No. 4787, § 2, 7-27-04)