ORDINANCE 283AI "'Al
ORDINANCE NO. 283.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EL SEGUNDO,
CALIFORNIA, REGULATING THE OPERATION OF
TAXICABS AND MOTOR VEHICLES TRANSPORTING
PASSENGERS FOR HIRE, OR FOR SIGHZ•SEEING
PURPOSES, UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS OF SAID
CITY.
The City Council of the City of El Segundo,
California, does ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. Definitions:
(a) That the terms "Council" or "City Council",
as used in this ordinance, mean the City Council of the City
of El Segundo, California.
(b) That the term "Street ", as used in this
ordinance, shall mean any place commonly used for the purpose
of public travel.
(c) That the term "Driver ", as used in this ordi-
nanoe, includes every person in charge of, driving, or
operating any passenger - carrying or motor propelled vehicle,
as herein defined, either as agent, employee, or otherwise.
(d) That the term "Taximeter ", as used in this
ordinance, shall meah� a mechanical instrument or device, by
which the charge for hire of a passenger - carrying vehicle is
mechanically calculated either for distance traveled or for
waiting time, or for both, and upon which such charges shall
be indicated by means of figures.
(e) That the term "Street Stand ", as used in this
ordinance, shall mean a portion of a street designated by
either the City Council or by the Trgffic Authority for the
use, while awaiting employment of any passenger.•oarrying or
motor propelled vehicle as herein defined.
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(f) That the term "Traffic Authority ", as used in
this ordinance, shall mean the Chief of Police of the City of
El Segundo, California.
(g) That the terms "Automobile for Hire ", or
"Vehicle for Hire ", as used in this ordinance, mean every
automobile or motor propelled vehicle, of private appearance
not equipped with a taximeter, used for the transportation of
passengers over the public streets of the City of El Segundo
and not over a defined route, and irrespective of whether such
operations extend beyond the boundary limits of said city, at
rates per mile, per trip, per hour, per day, per week, per
month, and such vehicle is routed under the direction of such
passenger, or passengers, or of such persons hiring the same.
(h) That the term "taxicab ", as used in this ordi-
nance, shall mean every automobile or motor propelled vehicle
of a distinctive color and /or the driver's seat separated from
the passenger's compartment by a glass partition, and /or of
public appearance, such as is in common usage in this country
for taxicabs, and /or equipped with a taximeter, used for the
transportation of passengers for hire over the public streets
of the City of E1 Segundo, and not over a defined route, and
irrespective of whether the operations extend beyond the
boundary limits of said oity, at rates for distance traveled
or for waiting time, or for both, and such vehicle is routed
under the direction of such passenger or passengers, or of
such persons hiring the same.
(1) That the term "Sight - seeing Automobile ", as
used in this ordinance, means every automobile or motor pro.
pelled vehicle used for the transportation of passengers over
the public streets of the City of El Segundo, and not necessarily
over a defined route, irrespective of whether such operations
extend beyond the boundary limits of said city, for the purpose
of sight - seeing, or showing points of interest, and charging
a fee or compensation therefor.
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SECTION 2. That the City Council, in determining
whether or not public convenience and necessity exist in
the case of any application, may take into consideration any
and all facts and conditions which such Council may deem
pertinent and /or proper including (but not limited to) a
consideration of:
(a) The financial responsibility of-the applicant.
(b) The effect of the granting of the permit
applied for on the businesses and operations of prior
permittees hereunder, then operating.
(e) Whether or not prior permittees hereunder,
then operating, are: (1) under efficient management
earning a fair and reasonable return on their capital
devoted to such service; and (2) under normal
conditions adequately serving the public.
SECTION 3. That it shall be unlawful for any person,
firm or corporation to operate, or cause to be operated, any
of the vehicles defined in Section 1 of this ordinance
without having first obtained a permit in writing so to do
as provided in this ordinance.
Applicants for such permits so to do shall file with
the City Council an application upon blanks furnished by said
city containing such information as provided by rules and
regulations of the City Council or Traffic Authority, pertain-
ing to the operation of, and the extent, character and quality
of the service of, taxicabs, autos for hire and sight - seeing
autos.
(a) No taxicab permit shall be issued to any
person, firm or corporation until a standard, distinct..
ive and uniform color scheme, name, monogram or insignia
has been adopted by the applicant and approved by the
City Council or Traffic Authority, which designates the
owner of said vehicle.
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(b) No permit shall be issued to any person,
firm or corporation whose color scheme, name, monogram
or insignia to be used on such ears shall be in conflict
with, or imitate any color scheme, monogram, name or
insignia used by another concern operating within said
city in such a manner as to be misleading or tend to
deceive or defraud the public. The permits herein men-
tioned shall entitle the holder thereof to obtain a
license to engage in the business described in said
permit from the City Clerk upon the payment of the
license fee therefor, as provided by ordinance of said
city, and said City Clerk shall issue to the holder of
such permit a license setting forth the kind of trans-
portation for which such license is issued and the year
when issued; said permit shall be filed with the City
Clerk.
SECTION 4. That it shall be unlawful for any person.
to drive, operate or be in charge of any passenger - parrying
or motor propelled vehicles as herein defined, without first
having obtained a permit in writing so to do from the City
Council. Applicants for such permits so to do shall file
with the City Council an application in writing upon blanks
to be furnished by said city containing such information as
said City Council or the Traffic Authority may require. Every
such permit so granted as provided in this ordinance, shall
be filed with the City Clerk, and upon payment to him of the
sum of $1.50 he shall issue to the holder of such permit a
badge of such design and bearing such words and numerals as
may be prescribed by said City Council or the Traffic Authority.
No permit shall be issued to any driver as herein defined who
is under the age of 21 years, or who in the exercise of reason.
able discretion the City Council shall deem not a fit or proper
person to be in charge of or operate an automobile for hire,
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as determined by rules and regulations of the City Council
pertaining to the operation of, and the extent, character
and quality of the service of, taxicabs, autos for hire and
sight- seeing autos; nor shall any driver's permit be issued
except to a citizen of the United States or to one who has
regularly declared his intention to become a citizen.
SECTION B. That before any permit is issued for
any vehicle or vehicles hereinbefore defined, the owner shall
be required to file with the City Council, and thereafter
keep in full force and effect a policy of insurance in such
form as the City Council may deem proper, and executed by
an insurance company approved by said City Council, insuring
the public against any loss or damage that may result to any
person or property from the operation of such vehicle or
vehicles, provided the minimum amount of recovery in such
policy of insurance specified, shall not be less than the
following sums:
For the injury to any one person or the
death of any one person in any one accident ... V25,000.00
For the injury to two or more persons,
or the death of two or more persons, in any
one accident ............................... $500000.00
For the injury or destruction of property
In any one accident $ 5,000.00
Provided, however, that for vehicles having a
seating capacity of more than 10 persons the limit of liability
for death or injury in any one accident shall be $100,000.00
instead of $25,000.00 as hereinabove specified.
All policies shall contain a provision for a continu-
ing liability thereunder up to the full amount of the penalty
thereof, notwithstanding any recovery thereon.
That it shall be unlawful for any owner to operate
or cause to be operated any vehicle without having a policy
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as described in this section in full force and effect at
all times during the operation of such vehicles.
SECTION 6. That no vehicle as described in Section
1 of this ordinance for which a permit shall have been issued
shall be operated by any one but the owner thereof or an em-
ployee of the owner; and it shall be unlawful for the owner
or any driver of any such vehicles to enter into any contract,
agreement or understanding between themselves by the terms of
which such driver pays to, or for the account of, such owner
a fixed or determinable sum for the use of such vehicle.
SECTION ?. That it shall be unlawful for any of
the vehicles defined in paragraphs (g), (h) and (i) of Section
1 of this ordinance to be operated from any place except a
stand, granted by the City Council or Traffic Authority in
accordance with the provisions of this ordinance, or from a
private or public garage or parking space on private property;
and it shall be unlawful for the owner, driver or operator of
a vehicle operating under one classification as defined in
this ordinance to transfer the same to, or use the same in,
another classification unless and until public convenience
and necessity shall have been established so to do as set
forth herein.
SECTION 8. That permits may be issued as provided
in this ordinance, by the City Council or Traffic Authority, to
the owners of the vehicles herein defined allowing any such
vehicles while awaiting employment to stand at certain desig-
nated places upon the streets of the City of El Segundo;
provided, however, that no such permit shall be granted except
upon the written application of the person desiring such stand,
filed with the City Council or Traffic Authority, stating the
number and kind of vehicle or vehicles for which the permit is
sought, and the proposed location of sueh stand; provided also
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that such application must contain either the written consent
of the occupant of the first floor of that portion of the
building or property in front of whion it is desired that
said vehicle or vehicles shall stand, or, if such building
shall contain more than 100 rooms and be used for hotel
purposes, the written consent of the person operating said
hotel.
That if there is' no building on the premises in
front of which it is desired that such vehicles may stand,
or if there is a building and the first floor is not occupied,
then such permit may be granted upon the written consent of
the owner, agent or lessee of such building or premises.
That in front of any building used for hotel pur-
poses containing more than 100 guest rooms, stand permits
may be issued on the basis of one vehicle for every 100 guest
rooms or a major fraction thereof; provided, however, that
none of such vehicles shall be permitted to stand within a
distance of 15 feet on either side of a line drawn from the
center of the entrance of such building and at right angles
to the street upon which such entrance is located.
That in addition to the number of cabs that may be
permitted to stand upon the street-within the limits of any
block as hereinafter in this Section provided the City Council
or Traffic Authority may grant permission to a cab owner or
company who has a stand upon the public street at the station
of any steam, interurban or bus transportation system, for
additional cabs at any such stand located in front of or along
the side of any such steam, interurban or bus transportation
system as may be necessary to meet the needs of the traveling
public, provided, however, that the consent of the owner or
operator of said steam, interurban or bus transportation
system is first obtained by said cab company for said additional
cabs. Except as otherwise provided in this ordinance not more
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