(a) No taxicab, limousine or other such vehicle shall be operated upon the streets of the city without having an exterior left side rearview mirror affixed to the body of the vehicle so as to enable the operator to observe traffic to the rear of the vehicle.

    (b) All taxicabs must be equipped with a top light permanently attached to the roof, which may have either the name of the company or the word "taxi" or "cab". The top light must be illuminated whenever the vehicle is in service for hire and headlights are required.

    (c) All taxicabs operated under the authority of this article shall be equipped with taximeter, fastened in front of the passengers, visible to them at all times, and after sundown the face of the taximeter shall be illuminated. The taximeter shall be operated by a mechanism of standard design and construction, driven either from the transmission or from one of the front wheels by a flexible and permanently attached driving mechanism. It shall be sealed at all points and connections which, if manipulated, would alter its correct reading and recording. Each taximeter shall have a flag to denote when the vehicle is employed and when it is not employed. The driver shall place the flag of the taximeter into a nonrecording position at the termination of each trip. Taximeters shall be inspected at least annually by the business license administrator or an agency approved by the business license administrator. In addition to this annual inspection, the business license administrator may require the taximeter to be inspected at any time when he may have reason to believe the meter is inaccurate. The business license administrator, upon discovering any inaccuracy in a taximeter, shall notify the person operating the taxicab to cease operation. The taxicab shall not be operated until the taximeter is repaired.

    (d) No driver shall operate a taxicab within the city limits while carrying a passenger for hire with the flag of the taximeter in such a position as to denote that such taxicab is not engaged.

(Ord. No. 12094, § 1, 12-12-88)