ARTICLE IV. OPERATIONS
SUBARTICLE 1. GENERAL OPERATIONS
The following provisions shall apply to all persons licensed to operate taxicabs or limousines pursuant to [chapter 30,] article II of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington or providing ground transportation services pursuant to this chapter.
4.1 Advertising in airport.
No sign, notice or advertising media of any type whatsoever shall be inscribed, painted, affixed or otherwise displayed or located on any part of the airport premises except by permission of the commission.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.2 Orderly conduct.
The operation of all ground transportation services shall be conducted in an orderly manner. No person shall, with intent to cause public inconvenience or annoyance, or recklessly creating a risk thereof:
a. Engage in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; or
b. Make unreasonable noise; or
c. In a public place use abusive or obscene language, or make an obscene gesture; or
d. Obstruct vehicular or pedestrian traffic; or
e. Engage in any conduct which is proscribed by part 1 of 13 V.S.A.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.3 Leaving vehicle.
All persons, while waiting to carry passengers in a motor vehicle licensed pursuant to [chapter 30,] article II of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington or permitted pursuant to this chapter shall at all times remain in his or her motor vehicle except as follows:
a. When engaged for hire he or she may exit the vehicle and assist in loading passengers and baggage into his or her vehicle.
b. He or she may leave his or her vehicle in cases of emergency, customer escort or when authorized by a law enforcement officer, the ground transportation administrator or the manager.
c. Taxicab drivers having queue permits may leave their vehicles while the vehicle is parked in the queue area; provided, however, that they remain within the confines of the queue area. Taxicab drivers leaving the queue area may enter the airport terminal building only if authorized to do so by a law enforcement officer, the ground transportation administrator or the manager.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.4 Operation of motor vehicles in general.
All persons shall at all times operate their motor vehicles in full compliance with the provisions of 23 V.S.A. chapter 13. Violation of any such provision may result in the suspension or revocation of the violator’s permit to operate at the airport.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.5 Parking at airport.
Taxicabs, buses, limousines, baggage-handlers, courtesy carriers and contract carriers shall be parked only in such parking areas designated and marked respectively as "Taxi Stand," "Bus Stand," "Limousine Stand," "Carrier Stand," "Baggage Stand" and "Queue." Vehicles parked in the queue area shall be parked in an orderly manner so as not to prohibit the safe and unobstructed passage of any other motor vehicles at the airport.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.6 Clean vehicles and drivers.
(a) Motor vehicles used to provide ground transportation services shall be clean and well-maintained.
(b) Persons providing ground transportation services shall be neat and clean, both in person and clothing, and courteous while engaged in the furnishing of ground transportation services pursuant to this chapter. Persons permitted to operate motor vehicles pursuant to this chapter must wear and/or comply with the following:
(1) Slacks, knee-length skirts or knee-length shorts;
(2) Shirts must be worn;
(3) Shoes, sneakers or boots and socks;
(4) Sweat pants and torn or threadbare items of clothing shall not be worn.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.7 Solicitation.
No person shall, by words, gestures or otherwise, solicit, persuade or urge or attempt to solicit, persuade or urge any person to use or hire any motor vehicle.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.8 Obstruction of route.
No person shall operate or park a motor vehicle in such a manner as to obstruct any passageway for the movement of any other motor vehicles or in violation of any signs, lines or other traffic-control devices.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.9 Manifest or record.
Each taxicab driver, contract carrier driver and limousine driver shall keep a proper and correct manifest or record showing the time and place each trip started and ended, the number of passengers carried and the amount of the fare charged. This manifest or record shall be preserved by the person to whom a vehicle permit has been issued for a period of six (6) months from the date of entry on said manifest or record card. A separate manifest or record shall be preserved for each driver for each day for such period of six (6) months.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.10 Inspection.
Each person operating a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing ground transportation services shall, upon demand of the ground transportation administrator, a law enforcement officer or the manager, exhibit his or her vehicle permit, driver’s permit and tag or manifest or record for closer inspection.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.11 Obedience to enforcement officers and ground transportation administrator.
No person may knowingly fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any enforcement officer or the ground transportation administrator.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.12 Receipts.
Each taxicab driver, limousine driver and contract carrier driver shall offer to the person paying for hire of same, at the time of payment, a receipt therefor. The receipt shall contain in legible type or writing the name of the driver, the name of the vehicle permit holder, all items for which a charge is made, the total amount paid and the date of payment. Every permitted motor vehicle shall affix a notice in a conspicuous place in the interior of such vehicle informing passengers of their right to obtain a receipt.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
SUBARTICLE 2. TAXICAB AND LIMOUSINE OPERATIONS
In addition to the provision of division 3 of article II of [chapter 30 of] the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington, the following provisions shall apply to the operation of taxicabs or limousines at the airport.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.13 Duty of transport.
No taxicab driver or limousine driver operating at the airport shall refuse or neglect to transport by his or her taxicab or limousine any orderly person upon request to any place within Chittenden County.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.14 Right to exclusive transportation.
No person owning, operating or controlling any taxicab shall permit another person who is not a paying passenger to sit or remain in the taxicab while it is in service as a taxicab while the taxicab is at the airport.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.15 Taxi and limousine stands.
The airport shall designate and mark with appropriate signs areas at the airport to be called "taxistand" and "limousine stand." No taxicab or limousine shall park in the area designated "taxistand" or "limousine stand" unless directed to do so by the ground transportation administrator. Those drivers whose vehicles are parked at the stand areas must remain in their vehicles, except as provided by section 5.3.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.16 Order of loading.
(a) Picking up passengers for hire after or while dropping passenger(s) off and before taking a position at the rear of the proper line, commonly known as "clipping," is prohibited.
(b) Upon entry into the airport without passengers or after discharging passengers at the airport each taxicab or limousine shall proceed at once by the most direct route to the rear of the queue line or immediately leave the airport.
(c) No taxicab or limousine shall receive passengers for hire at the airport except in the order in which they are parked at the stand, unless such order is overridden by passenger selection, and then only upon signal or call by the ground transportation administrator. Passengers shall be loaded into vehicles only at the stand.
(d) The operator of a taxicab or limousine occupying the position at the head of the line at the taxistand shall accept only the passenger(s) by whom his or her vehicle is engaged for hire or to whom his or her vehicle is assigned.
(e) Not more than one (1) fare shall be loaded into a taxicab except within the discretion of the ground transportation administrator when he or she determines it necessary to load more than one (1) fare into a taxicab.
(f) The operator of a vehicle shall not remove his or her vehicle from its position in line without losing said position, except with the consent or permission of the ground transportation administrator.
(g) Notwithstanding any other rule or regulation, any prospective passenger may select for hire any taxicab or limousine wherever located at the stand or queue.
(h) A taxicab or limousine being dispatched to the airport on a call for a particular person shall bypass the queue and park the vehicle at the "carrier stand." The driver shall immediately report to the Ground Transportation Informational Center and provide to the ground transportation administrator the passenger’s name and other pertinent information if requested and must pay the per-trip fee provided for in section 3.1 hereunder. The driver shall either (1) request that the ground transportation administrator page the passenger and direct the passenger to the Ground Transportation Informational Center or (2) proceed directly to the passenger’s arrival gate to wait for his or her passenger to arrive. In the event that the driver elects to have the passenger paged, the driver shall remain at the Ground Transportation Informational Center to wait for his or her passenger to arrive. The driver shall be permitted to wait fifteen (15) minutes for his or her passenger to arrive unless the ground transportation administrator approves a longer waiting time. Should the passenger fail to appear at the Ground Transportation Informational Center by the expiration of the waiting period, the driver must leave the airport. In the event that the driver elects to proceed to the arrival gate, the driver shall carry a sign displaying the name of his or her passenger and shall remain at the gate until his or her passenger arrives. Should the driver wish to remain at the airport, he or she must leave the immediate area and proceed to the rear of the queue line.
(Reg. of 10-25-93)
4.17 Meter use required.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 30, all persons operating taxicabs, limousines, or vehicles for hire, as that term is defined in Section 30-1, shall be required to utilize a taximeter to calculate all fares originating from the airport queue line for rides expected to be fifty (50) miles or less in duration. Such persons are required to charge no more than the rates established and published by the vehicle for hire licensing board.
(b) This requirement shall not apply to rides that have been pre-arranged by phone, online reservation, or any method by which both the ride and the rate have been pre-arranged and pre-agreed by both the driver and passenger(s) prior to the driver entering the queue line. (Reg. of 8-12-24)
4.18 Registration and operation generally.
No bus shall be operated at the airport unless it is properly licensed with the Interstate Commerce Commission, under the control of a mass transit authority or regional transit authority and/or has received a certificate of public good from the Vermont Transportation Board.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.17)
4.19 Filing schedules and rates of fare.
(a) Each bus to be operated at the airport shall file a schedule of rates and a timetable with the manager for his or her approval. The timetable shall list the time at which the bus shall leave the airport and its route. The schedule of rates shall list the rates of fare from the airport to each of its fixed destination points.
(b) The rates of fare and timetable may be changed by filing new schedules with the manager for his or her approval.
(c) All buses shall operate according to its time table filed with the manager. The timetable may provide for a fifteen-minute allowance in the time of departure from the airport.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.18)
4.20 Loading and discharging of passengers.
The airport shall designate and mark with appropriate signs an area at the airport to be called a "bus stand." No bus shall load or discharge passengers at any point at the airport except the bus stand. Those drivers whose vehicles are parked at the bus stand must remain in their vehicles except as provided in section 4.3.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.19)
SUBARTICLE 4. COURTESY CARRIERS AND CONTRACT CARRIERS
4.21 Registration and operation generally.
(a) No courtesy carrier or contract carrier shall be operated at the airport unless properly registered with the State of Vermont or any other municipality, county or authority required by law.
(b) No courtesy carrier or contract carrier shall be operated at the airport unless it is in compliance with 23 V.S.A. chapter 13, and unless a ground transportation permit has been obtained in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.20)
4.22 Equipment, inspection and maintenance.
(a) No contract carrier shall be issued a ground transportation permit until it has been thoroughly examined and inspected and found to comply with the provisions of this article.
(b) Contract carriers must conform to the provisions of 23 V.S.A. chapter 13, subchapter 14 and section 30-28(a) and (b) of article II of [chapter 30 of] the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington.
(c) Inspection of contract carriers shall be under the direction of the chief, and the chief and such other personnel assigned for such purpose shall have the right at any time after displaying proper identification to enter into or upon any contract carrier for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not any of the provisions of this chapter are being violated.
(d) A driver whose contract carrier vehicle is found to be unfit for public patronage may have his or her permit suspended or revoked pursuant to article VI of this chapter. Any contract carrier vehicle which is found to be unsafe or in any way unsuitable for public patronage shall be immediately ordered out of service, and before being again placed in service shall be delivered to the chief at a designated point for reinspection.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.21)
4.23 Loading and discharging of passengers.
(a) The airport shall designate and mark with appropriate signs an area at the airport to be called a "carrier stand."
(b) A courtesy carrier or contract carrier shall load only those passengers who have made arrangements prior to or upon arrival at the airport with the carrier to be met at the airport by the carrier.
(c) No courtesy carrier or contract carrier shall load or discharge passengers at any point at the airport except the carrier stand. Those drivers whose vehicles are parked at the carrier stand must remain in their vehicles except as provided by section 4.3 and paragraph (d) hereunder.
(d) Upon arriving at the airport, the driver of a courtesy carrier or contract carrier shall park his or her vehicle at the appropriate "carrier stand." The driver shall immediately report to the Ground Transportation Informational Center and provide to the ground transportation officer the passenger’s name or other pertinent information if requested and must pay the per-trip fee provided for in section 3.1 hereunder. The driver shall either (1) request that the ground transportation administrator page the passenger and direct the passenger to the Ground Transportation Informational Center or (2) proceed directly to the passenger’s arrival gate to wait for his or her passenger to arrive. In the event that the driver elects to have the passenger paged, the driver shall remain at the Ground Transportation Informational Center to wait for his or her passenger to arrive. The driver shall be permitted to wait fifteen (15) minutes for his or her passenger to arrive unless the ground transportation administrator approves a longer waiting time. Should the passenger fail to appear at the Ground Transportation Informational Center by the expiration of the waiting period, the driver must leave the airport. In the event that the driver elects to proceed to the arrival gate, the driver shall carry a sign displaying the name of his or her passenger and shall remain at the gate until his or her passenger arrives.
(Reg. of 10-25-93; Reg. of 8-12-24. Formerly 4.22)