§ 23-76. Vehicle equipment.

All taxicabs operated within the city shall be equipped and maintained in a satisfactory condition so as to comply with the General Statutes of North Carolina and the provisions of this Code, and among other requirements shall:

(1)

Have a body of the sedan or enclosed type and be of not less than four-passenger capacity.

(2)

Have four (4) doors, two (2) leading into the passengers' compartment and two (2) leading into the driver's compartment, so constructed that they may be opened from the inside and outside.

(3)

Have all windows, vents and doors in proper working condition.

(4)

Be equipped with a heater sufficient to heat the interior of the taxicab adequately in cold weather.

(5)

Have all windshields and side and rear glasses clear and free of cracks and clear of dirt and obstructions to clear view.

(6)

Have front and rear bumpers of original manufacturer's design and attachments which shall be in place and in proper repair.

(7)

Have headlights in good working condition and as installed by the original manufacturer.

(8)

Be equipped with a number of seatbelts equal to the passenger capacity of the vehicle.

(9)

Shall be equipped with a taximeter which shall meet and be operated to the standards set forth for taximeters by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with the exceptions of taxi vehicles such as described in article I, section 23-1.

(Code 1977, § 25-58; Ord. No. 2007-23, § 3, 5-15-07)