§ 101. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given herein.

Ambulance shall mean a vehicle defined in and permitted by the provisions of Title 37-A of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Tulsa.

Antique, classic or special interest vehicle for hire shall mean the following:

1.

Antique or classic vehicle for hire shall mean vehicles which are twenty-five (25) calendar years old or older and have not been substantially altered, remodeled or remanufactured from the manufacturer's original design.

2.

Special interest vehicle for hire shall mean a vehicle which does not match the description herein of other vehicles for hire yet may appeal to a certain age group through nostalgic association, as a cultural icon or a current fad.

3.

These vehicles shall not be equipped with a taximeter and shall be for hire only by prearrangement at a rate charged per hour or fixed in advance, as long as the fixed rate is for a minimum period of one (1) hour, provided that all such vehicles are:

a.

For hire for continuous periods of one (1) hour or more, whether actually used for one (1) hour or not:

b.

Of a type and configuration not generally licensed as a taxicab or bus in the City;

c.

Not to cruise in search of patronage and not to park in any public street, or in any public or private place of assemblage to solicit patronage not prearranged. This shall be interpreted to preclude the parking of these vehicles at any location other than to collect prearranged passengers.

Bus shall mean a chauffeur-driven vehicle for hire, designed to accommodate more than five (5) passengers excluding the chauffeur, classified by the manufacturer as a bus or van, not equipped with a taximeter and provided that all such vehicles are:

1.

To be for hire only for travel along a fixed route which is approved by the Director in advance;

2.

Of a type and configuration not generally licensed as a taxicab or limousine;

3.

Not to cruise in search of patronage and not to park in any public street, or in any public or private place of assemblage soliciting patronage. This shall not be interpreted to preclude the parking of vehicles at any location while awaiting passengers; and

4.

To operate at a rate fixed in advance and charged for regular travel over the approved route.

Certificate shall mean a certificate authorizing the operation of a taxicab, paratransit service or a utility vehicle for hire, service within the City limits of Tulsa.

Chauffeur shall mean a licensed individual who drives or operates a taxicab, paratransit vehicle or utility vehicle for hire, regardless of whether or not the individual drives or operates such vehicle as an employee, lessee, independent contractor or his lessee, or in any other capacity.

Church Bus shall mean a vehicle used primarily for the transportation of the members, guests or staff of a church.

City shall mean the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a municipal corporation.

Council shall mean the Council of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Courtesy Vehicle shall mean a vehicle used by hotel and motel facilities, apartment complexes, businesses, merchants, companies, private organizations or groups exclusively for the convenience of their guests, occupants, customers, employees or members and is not for hire.

Director shall mean the person designated by the Mayor to enforce the provisions of this chapter or that person's designee.

For Hire shall mean a transaction whereby any money, thing of value, charge tickets, surcharge, payment, pecuniary consideration or compensation, reward, donation, remuneration or profit is paid to, accepted by, or received by the chauffeur or an employee or the holder operating any taxicab, paratransit vehicle or utility vehicle in exchange for the temporary use by or for the transportation of a person as a passenger, whether such is paid voluntarily or upon solicitation, demand, request, contract, agreement, or as a surcharge. For hire shall also include a taxicab, paratransit vehicle or a utility which being operated for a commercial (profit) purpose whether or not computation is expected from its passengers.

He/Him/His/It/Its shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter gender.

Hearse shall mean a vehicle customarily and primarily used to transport the deceased for burial.

Holder shall mean a person who is granted a certificate.

Horse-Drawn Carriage shall mean a chauffeur-driven carriage, coach, wagon, or buggy for hire, having one (1) or more horses or other equines under harness and rein, which can carry one (1) or more passengers, usually operated and promoted for selected sightseeing routes.

I.D.L. Definition. As used herein, the I.D.L. (Inner Dispersal Loop) shall mean the area of the City of Tulsa bounded on the East by the East leg of the I.D.L. (U.S. 75), on the West by I-244, on the North by I-244, and on the South by the Broken Arrow Expressway (S.H. 51).

Limousine shall mean:

1.

A specialized passenger motor vehicle in which a minimum of five (5) passengers can ride in the rear passenger compartment. The driver's seat is separated from the passenger's compartment by a partition that can ensure privacy for the rear passengers; or

2.

A luxury sedan; luxury, as defined by the manufacturer of the vehicle. A paratransit company may operate a luxury sedan as a Limousine, provided they also have an equivalent number of specialized passenger motor vehicles. The certificate holder must license one (1) specialized passenger motor vehicle for every four (4) luxury sedans.

3.

The vehicle shall not be equipped with a taximeter and shall be for hire only by prearrangement at a rate charged per hour or fixed in advance, as long as the fixed rate is for a minimum period of one (1) hour, provided that all such vehicles are:

a.

For hire for continuous periods of one (1) hour or more, whether actually used for one (1) hour or not;

b.

Of a type and configuration not generally licensed as a taxicab or bus in the City;

c.

Not to cruise in search of patronage and not to park in any public street, or in any public or private place of assemblage soliciting patronage not prearranged. This shall be interpreted to preclude the parking of vehicles at any location while awaiting passengers.

Mayor shall mean the Mayor of the City of Tulsa, or designee.

Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority shall mean the public trust organized for the purpose of operating transportation within the City of Tulsa under the trade name of Tulsa Transit.

Mortuary Limousine shall mean a vehicle customarily and primarily used to transport a funeral party.

Paratransit Vehicles shall mean antique, classic or special interest vehicles for hire, limousines, physically limited transport vehicles, wheelchair transport vehicles, buses, peda-cabs, sightseeing vehicles, rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages for hire.

Peda-Cab shall mean a chauffeur-driven, non-motorized conveyance for hire, propelled by human power, having two (2) or more wheels, with power transmitted from the pedals to the wheels by means of a belt, chain, gears or any combination thereof, designed and constructed to carry one (1) or more passengers in addition to the chauffeur.

Person shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, company, association, partnership or any combination thereof, or two (2) or more persons having a joint or common economic interest. The word person shall include both the singular and plural.

Physically Limited Transport shall mean a chauffeur-driven vehicle for hire which is designed or suited for the transportation of the ambulatory elderly or physically limited, where no medical assistance is required en route to the passenger's destination and where stretcher transportation is not required. Stretcher transportation is deemed necessary when the passenger is not capable of sitting and is not ambulatory. Physically Limited Transport is to be used only by those who are physically unable to utilize a standard taxicab service.

Prearranged shall mean an agreement to provide transportation by registration in advance of boarding from a specific location in an antique, classic or special interest vehicle for hire, or a limousine at an agreed-upon rate for a minimum of a one-hour period without regard to whether the trip requires less than one (1) hour or not. The key factor in determining the cost of a prearranged limousine service shall be the length of time the vehicle is in use, measured in hourly increments or an agreed-upon fixed rate that exceeds the normal hourly rate for one (1) hour, and not the distance traveled.

Rickshaw shall mean a chauffeur-driven, non-motorized conveyance for hire, propelled by human power, having two (2) or more wheels, designed and constructed to carry one (1) or more passengers in addition to the chauffeur.

School Bus shall mean a vehicle used primarily for the transportation of a school's students and staff.

Sightseeing Vehicle shall mean a chauffeur-driven vehicle for hire, for carrying passengers on a sightseeing tour over a fixed route within the City, for a charge or fare per passenger, per tour trip or per hour, fixed by an agreement in advance or by the purchase of a ticket.

Street shall mean any street, alley, avenue, boulevard, drive, place, court, terrace, viaduct, public way or highway commonly used for the purpose of public travel.

Taxicab shall mean and include any motor vehicle for hire, designed to carry seven (7) persons or less excluding the chauffeur, accepting passengers indiscriminately on call or demand, for transportation between such points along streets or highways as may be directed by the passenger or passengers being transported.

Taxicab or Paratransit Service shall mean a transportation service operated for hire that uses vehicles or other types of conveyances in its operation.

Taxicab or Paratransit Stands shall mean parking places reserved for the exclusive use of either taxicabs or paratransit vehicles, whichever designated. The City of Tulsa shall designate such stands, except for those at the Tulsa International Airport, which shall be designated by the Tulsa Airport Authority and approved by the City Council. The locations of all such stands shall be filed with the Director.

Taximeter shall mean any approved, internally mounted instrument, appliance, mechanism or device which records mechanically, electrically, electronically, or any combination thereof, and which calculates and displays the fare based upon any of the rate-setting criteria set forth in this chapter.

Traffic Violation shall mean a violation of any offense described or listed in Title 37, Chapter 6, of the Tulsa Revised Ordinances, regardless of where the violation occurred.

Utility Vehicle: For purposes of this Chapter, the definition set out in 47 O.S. § 1102 (39) shall also apply throughout this Chapter. A utility vehicle is defined as a vehicle that is powered by an internal combustion engine, manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway, equipped with seating for two or more people and a steering wheel, traveling on four (4) or more wheels. This definition is republished here for convenience only, and the definition set out in 47 O.S. § 1102 (39), as amended from time to time, is controlling for all purposes.

Utility Vehicle for Hire: A utility vehicle for hire is one driven for commercial (profit) reasons or when money or anything of value is paid to the driver or to the holder of the utility vehicle for hire certificate in exchange for the transportation of a person as a passenger within the I.D.L., exclusively.

Waiting Time shall mean such time consumed or lost at the request or direction of a passenger or his agent after the acknowledgment of the arrival of the taxicab or paratransit vehicle and before reaching the destination. Waiting time also includes time lost as a result of congested traffic and controlled intersections.

Wheelchair shall mean a chair mounted on wheels, allowing an individual mobility in a sitting position, not altered or manufactured to allow the individual's position to be changed to a horizontal state.

Wheelchair Transport shall mean a chauffeur-driven vehicle for hire which is designed or suited for the transportation of wheelchair-confined persons while such persons are sitting in their wheelchairs.

( Ord. No. 23483, § 1, 4-28-2016 ; Ord. No. 23779 , § 1, 9-13-2017)