Operations.

Austin City Code tit. 13, ch. 13-2, art. 2, div. 3

in effect

Austin City Code § 13-2-441 RESERVED.

Austin City Code § 13-2-442 OWNER-OPERATED TAXICABS.

§ 13-2-442 - OWNER-OPERATED TAXICABS. (A) In addition to the requirements for drivers under Article 1 (General Provisions), Division 6 (Drivers), Subparts A (Chauffeur's Permit) and C (Duties and Conduct of Drivers), a person who owns a vehicle may not drive that vehicle as part of a taxicab operating authority holder's fleet unless the holder and owner-operator enter into a written contract in accordance with rules prescribed by the department. (B) When an owner-operated vehicle is taken from service, the taxicab operating authority holder shall notify the department of that fact not later than the 15th day of the month following the month in which the vehicle is taken from service. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-342; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 16, 7-9-18; Ord. No. 20220303-023, Pt. 21, 3-14-22.

Austin City Code § 13-2-443 CITY-WIDE TAXICAB SERVICE REQUIRED.

§ 13-2-443 - CITY-WIDE TAXICAB SERVICE REQUIRED. A taxicab operating authority holder may not refuse to provide taxicab service to the general public to and from any point inside the City that is accessible by a public street. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the holder or the driver had reason to believe that service in a particular circumstance would have subjected the driver to harm, violence, or the taxicab to damage or destruction. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-343; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20220303-023, Pt. 21, 3-14-22.

Austin City Code § 13-2-444 PROMPT RESPONSE REQUIRED.

§ 13-2-444 - PROMPT RESPONSE REQUIRED. A taxicab operating authority holder shall respond to each call received for service inside the city as soon as practicable. If the service cannot be rendered within a reasonable time, the holder shall inform the caller of the reason for the delay and the approximate time required to answer the call. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-344; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20050818-025; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 17, 7-9-18; Ord. No. 20220303-023, Pt. 21, 3-14-22.

Austin City Code § 13-2-445 RESPONSE TO DISPATCHED SERVICE REQUESTS.

§ 13-2-445 - RESPONSE TO DISPATCHED SERVICE REQUESTS. While in service, a taxicab driver shall accept service requests from the driver's dispatch terminal when the driver's taxicab is determined by the dispatch's global positioning system to be the closest taxicab to the pick-up location. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-345; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20150604-055, Pt. 14, 6-15-15.

Austin City Code § 13-2-446 REFUSAL TO CONVEY PASSENGERS.

§ 13-2-446 - REFUSAL TO CONVEY PASSENGERS. While operating a taxicab, a driver may not refuse to convey a person who requests service unless: (1) the driver is engaged in answering a previous request for service; (2) the person requesting service is disorderly; (3) the driver has reason to believe that the person is engaged in unlawful conduct; (4) the driver has reason to believe that the safety of the driver or the taxicab is at risk; or (5) the person cannot present proof of ability to pay the fare. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-346; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14.

Austin City Code § 13-2-447 LIMITATIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS.

§ 13-2-447 - LIMITATIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS. While on duty a driver may not: (1) respond to a dispatched service request assigned to another driver; (2) monitor the dispatch activity of a taxicab company other than the driver's company; or (3) respond to a call for service dispatched by another company. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-347; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20220303-023, Pt. 22, 3-14-22.

Austin City Code § 13-2-448 DIRECT ROUTE.

§ 13-2-448 - DIRECT ROUTE. (A) A driver shall transport a passenger to the passenger's destination by the most direct route available unless otherwise directed by the passenger. (B) This section applies only to taxicab service in which a taximeter is used to calculate the rate of fare. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-348; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14.

Austin City Code § 13-2-449 LIMITATIONS ON SOLICITATIONS.

§ 13-2-449 - LIMITATIONS ON SOLICITATIONS. A taxicab driver or person in charge of a taxicab may not leave the taxicab and enter a depot, terminal, or private property of a railroad company, airline, or bus company to solicit the transportation of arriving passengers. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-349; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 18, 7-9-18.

Austin City Code § 13-2-450 RESERVED.

Austin City Code § 13-2-451 NUMBER OF PASSENGERS.

§ 13-2-451 - NUMBER OF PASSENGERS. The number of passengers a driver may transport during a single trip is limited to the number of seatbelts available in the taxicab. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-351; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20120209-033; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 20, 7-9-18.

Austin City Code § 13-2-452 ADDITIONAL PASSENGERS.

§ 13-2-452 - ADDITIONAL PASSENGERS. Unless the passenger employing a taxicab consents, a driver may not admit additional passengers to the taxicab on that trip. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-352; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 21, 7-9-18.

Austin City Code § 13-2-453 USE OF TAXI ZONES.

§ 13-2-453 - USE OF TAXI ZONES. (A) To enter a taxi zone, a taxicab driver shall drive the taxicab into the taxi zone from the rear of the zone and proceed to the front of the zone in an orderly manner. (B) A taxicab driver must not leave a taxicab parked in a taxi zone unattended. (C) The driver of a taxicab may not admit passengers in a taxi zone unless: (1) each taxicab ahead of the driver's taxicab, if any, in the taxi zone has loaded passengers; or (2) the passenger to be loaded has rejected service from each taxicab ahead of the driver's taxicab in the taxi zone. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-353; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 22, 7-9-18.

Austin City Code § 13-2-454 BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS REQUESTING TAXICABS FOR CUSTOMERS.

§ 13-2-454 - BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS REQUESTING TAXICABS FOR CUSTOMERS. An employee of a business establishment, other than a taxicab service, who acts as an agent in obtaining taxicab service for prospective taxicab passengers may not solicit or accept payment from a holder in return for giving preferential treatment by directing passengers to a taxicab, or interfere with the orderly progression of taxicabs from the rear to the front of a taxi zone. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-354; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20141106-054, Pt. 15, 11-17-14.

Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT13TRSE_CH13-2GRTRPASE_ART2GRTRSE_DIV3OPFetched: 10/27/2026