Current through February, 2024
(a)
No taxi driver shall be authorized to operate at a public airport without the
necessary permits, licenses, approvals, qualifications, and certification
required by this chapter or by the laws of the State or any other governmental
body having the jurisdiction to regulate the operation of a motor vehicle or
the carrying of baggage or people for hire on any vehicle in the
State.
(b) With regard to
qualifications, the taxi driver shall:
(1)
Have a valid motor vehicle driver license issued by the State and evidence of
having one year driving experience in the county in which the application is
made;
(2) Be a citizen or alien who
has been admitted for permanent residence or who has otherwise been granted
employment authorization by the United States Immigration and Naturalization
Services;
(3) Be at least 18 years
of age;
(4) Not have outstanding
arrest warrants or criminal convictions pending for offenses committed while
driving intoxicated or recklessly;
(5) Not be addicted to the use of drugs or
alcohol, and shall sign a form consistent with the Drug-Free Workplace
Act;
(6) Be subject to background
checks or clearances if required by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
and applicable state statutes;
(7)
Submit a certificate from a licensed physician indicating the applicant's
condition as to visual acuity and hearing ability, and shall be, in the opinion
of the physician, free of medical conditions that may render the driver unfit
for the safe operation of a motor vehicle; and
(8) Pass a written examination, to be
administered by the director or taxi management concessionaire in the English
language, covering airport taxicab operations, vehicle safety procedures,
applicable department's Motor Vehicle Safety Office and Hawaii Administrative
Rules, local traffic laws, passenger courtesy and assistance procedures, public
relations, and knowledge of major destinations in the county in which the
application is made.
(c)
A taxi driver shall comply with instructions issued by the director regarding
the taxi staging sequence to implement an open-access taxi system pertaining
to:
(1) Location of designated passenger
pickup areas, taxicab stands, taxicab hold areas;
(2) Queuing procedure to wait their turn to
pickup passengers; and
(3)
Circulation path while on the airport.
(d) Any vehicle being issued a permit under
this chapter shall be licensed by the appropriate governmental regulatory
agency, operating in conformance with the requirements and procedures
prescribed by such agency, and at all times display a current safety sticker
and current evidence of licensing and registration by the applicable regulatory
agency of the government.
(e) Taxi
vehicles shall:
(1) Be equipped with a
taxicab meter in accordance with the terms and conditions as set forth by the
state Office of Weights and Measures (the taxicab meter must be mounted in a
permanent manner in a position that is visible to all passengers);
(2) Display in the interior of the taxicab
the typical authorized fares to major destinations in the county;
(3) Provide a seating capacity for at least
five passengers, including the driver, and shall be in safe mechanical
condition, clean and acceptable in appearance, and in damage-free
condition;
(4) Have an illuminated
taxicab domelight mounted on the roof of the vehicle, in accordance with the
county rules and regulations as applicable;
(5) Comply with the rules and regulations set
forth by the department's Motor Vehicle Safety Office; and
(6) Where required by the director, have a
two-way radio with the capability to operate on the appropriate airport
frequency to meet taxi service dispatch requirements.
(f) The director may in the interest of
public safety or in the interest of improving airport operations, establish
additional airport procedures and requirements covering taxi driver
qualifications, identification and conduct, and vehicle standards.
(g) Failure to meet the established standards
for taxi driver qualification, taxi driver conduct, and vehicle requirement
shall be grounds for non-issuance or revocation of the taxi vehicle permit or
taxi driver authorization. The taxi vehicle permit or driver identification
badge shall be returned to the issuing agency within three business days after
the notice of revocation is received.
