§ 15-179. Certificate of public convenience and necessity.

(a)

No person shall operate or cause to be operated within the county any taxicab without a certificate of public convenience and necessity for such vehicle and unless the person complies with the provisions of this article. An owner shall operate under only one certificate, and operate only the number of taxicabs specified in the certificate. Additional taxicabs may be added to a certificate only upon written application and approval by the chief of police, payment of fees provided in this article and compliance with all other provisions of this article.

(b)

A certificate of public convenience and necessity shall be effective until January 31 following its issuance and must be renewed annually. The chief of police shall provide a form for applications and renewals which includes authorization to conduct a background check and certification by the applicant that the information contained in the application is true and correct. Written authorization to conduct a background investigation will include fingerprints and personal descriptive information for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information, the costs of which shall be borne by the applicant. The fingerprints shall be forwarded to Virginia State Police for processing through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as authorized by Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1503.1.

(c)

A certificate of public convenience and necessity shall lapse with respect to any vehicle that has not been used to provide taxicab service for 60 or more consecutive days.

(d)

A certificate of public convenience and necessity shall not be transferable.

(e)

In addition to any other fees in this Code, each applicant for a certificate of public convenience and necessity shall pay an initial application fee of $25.00 per vehicle listed in the certificate, and upon each request for renewal of such certificate shall pay the same fee.

(f)

The board of supervisors may, after a public hearing, prescribe the maximum number of vehicles for which certificates are to be issued when it appears that it is in the public interest to do so. Thereafter, the chief of police shall not approve any new certificates until the total number of certified vehicles outstanding is less than the prescribed number; provided, that renewal of an existing certificate shall not be regarded as a new certificate.

(g)

A certificate holder shall not place into service a taxicab unless it is a hard-top vehicle with a minimum of four doors and wheel size of at least 14 inches.

(h)

It shall be unlawful for a certificate holder to place into service a taxicab which either is more than 12 model years old or which is more than eight model years old and has more than 300,000 miles at the time it is placed into service. It shall be unlawful to operate any taxicab which either is more than 12 model years old or which is more than eight model years old and has more than 300,000 miles.

(Code 1978, § 19.1-3; Ord. of 10-28-98, § 1; Ord. of 6-23-99, § 1; Ord. of 7-25-12, § (2); Ord. of 8-24-16(1), § 1)

(Code 1978, § 19.1-3; Ord. of 10-28-98, § 1; Ord. of 6-23-99, § 1; Ord. of 7-25-12, § (2); Ord. of 8-24-16(1), § 1)