(1) Vehicle-for-Hire Company Licensure Requirements.

(2) Vehicle-for-Hire Driver Certification Card Requirements. No person may drive a vehicle-for-hire unless that person possesses a valid public passenger vehicle driver certification card. An applicant may be issued a driver certification card without any waiting period if the person’s application is complete and includes documentation demonstrating that the applicant has been hired by a vehicle-for-hire company after undergoing a criminal background check in accordance with the vehicle-for-hire company’s criminal background check procedures. For purposes of this section, “hired by a vehicle-for-hire company” means a driver employed by, contracting with, or otherwise affiliated with the vehicle-for-hire company.

(3) Fare. The actual fare charged for each trip by a vehicle-for-hire shall not exceed the higher of:

(4) Audit. The city manager may audit vehicle-for-hire companies up to twice per calendar year to review compliance with applicable city code and administrative rules. Upon request, a vehicle-for-hire company shall provide the city manager a sample of records for up to thirty (30) drivers affiliated with the vehicle-for-hire company that have operated in the thirty (30) days preceding the audit. The audit shall occur at a time and location designated by the city manager. In addition to an audit, the city manager may require a vehicle-for-hire company to produce records related to an investigation of a specific allegation of a violation of applicable city code administrative rules, or other applicable law, or to evaluate a complaint. Production of records for an investigation or to evaluate a complaint does not count toward the twice-per-year auditing limit.

(5) Rules. The city manager shall adopt rules setting standards and establishing requirements for vehicle-for-hire companies; vehicles-for-hire; public passenger vehicle companies; public passenger vehicles; public passenger vehicle drivers; the issuance of public passenger vehicle company licenses; and the issuance of public passenger driver certification cards. Such rules shall be consistent with this code and be designed to ensure that the public safety is protected, the public needs are met, and the public convenience is promoted.

(6) Term. The term for a license issued hereunder shall commence on January 1 and expire on December 31 of the year issued. The license fee for applications received after January 1 shall be prorated on the basis of that term. An application for extension or renewal of an existing license must be submitted by November 1, accompanied by the required license fee. Failure to submit the license fee with the extension or renewal application, or to pay the same before the end of the current license term may result in the licensee being required to submit a new application and pay an application fee. A licensee who submits an extension or renewal application after November 1 may be assessed a penalty fee of $20 per day for each day between November 1 and the date the application is submitted.

(7) Per-Trip Fee. In addition to licensure and certification card fees, a per-trip fee to be paid by the vehicle-for-hire company or the passenger may be established by the city manager pursuant to section 2.020 of this code. The purpose of the per-trip fee is to cover program costs required to adequately administer this Section 3.345 and the administrative rules adopted thereunder, increase the availability of accessible vehicles, and any other purpose related to public passenger vehicle services specifically identified by the city manager in the notice of proposed fee.