Section 19-502. Definitions

For the purpose of this chapter:
    a.  "Coach"  means a motor vehicle carrying passengers for hire in the
  city, designed to comfortably  seat  not  more  than  seven  passengers,
  operating  from coach hack stands designated by the commission, and duly
  licensed as a coach by the commission.
    b. "Commission" means the New York city taxi and limousine commission.
    c. "Driver" means a person licensed  hereunder  to  drive  a  licensed
  vehicle in the city.
    d.  "Driver's  license"  means  a  license  for a driver issued by the
  commission.
    e. "Vehicle license" means taxicab license, coach license,  wheelchair
  accessible  van  license  or  for-hire  vehicle  license  issued  by the
  commission.
    f. "Licensed vehicle" means a taxicab,  coach,  wheelchair  accessible
  van or for-hire vehicle licensed by the commission.
    g.  "For-hire  vehicle"  means a motor vehicle carrying passengers for
  hire in the city, with a seating capacity of twenty passengers or  less,
  not  including  the  driver,  other  than  a  taxicab, coach, wheelchair
  accessible van, commuter van or an authorized bus operating pursuant  to
  applicable  provisions  of  law.  For  the  purpose of this subdivision,
  "seating capacity" shall  include  any  plain  view  location  which  is
  capable  of  accommodating  a  normal  adult  is part of an overall seat
  configuration and design and is likely to be used as a seating  position
  while the vehicle is in motion.
    h.  "Medallion"  means  the  metal  plate issued by the commission for
  displaying the license number of a licensed taxicab on  the  outside  of
  the vehicle.
    i.  Except as is otherwise provided in subdivision f of section 19-506
  "owner" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation or  association
  owning  and operating a licensed vehicle or vehicles and shall include a
  purchaser under a reserve title contract, conditional sales agreement or
  vendors lien agreement, and a lessee of any  such  vehicle  or  vehicles
  under  a  written  lease or similar contract approved by the commission.
  Provided, however, that with respect to a commuter van, "owner" means  a
  person,  other  than a lien holder, having the property in or title to a
  vehicle. The term includes a person entitled to the use  and  possession
  of  a  vehicle subject to a security interest in another person and also
  includes any lessee or bailee of a  vehicle  having  the  exclusive  use
  thereof,  under  a  lease or otherwise, for a period greater than thirty
  days. If a vehicle is sold under a contract of  sale  which  reserves  a
  security  interest in the vehicle in favor of the vendor, such vendor or
  his assignee shall not, after delivery of such vehicle, be deemed to  be
  an  owner  within the provisions of this subdivision, but the vendee, or
  his or her assignee, receiving possession thereof, shall  be  deemed  an
  owner  notwithstanding  the  terms of such contract, until the vendor or
  his or her assignee shall retake possession of such vehicle.  A  secured
  party  in whose favor there is a security interest in any vehicle out of
  his or her possession shall not be deemed to  be  an  owner  within  the
  provisions of this subdivision.
    j.  "Rate  card"  means  a  card,  issued  by  the commission for each
  vehicle, which displays the vehicle license number, rates of  fare,  and
  such other data as the commission may prescribe.
    k.   "Taximeter"  means  an  instrument  or  device  approved  by  the
  commission by which the charge to a passenger for  hire  of  a  licensed
  vehicle  is automatically calculated and on which such charge is plainly
  indicated.
    l. "Taxi", "taxicab" or "cab" means motor vehicle carrying  passengers
  for  hire  in  the city, designed to carry a maximum of five passengers,

  duly licensed as a taxi cab by the commission and  permitted  to  accept
  hails from passengers in the street.
    m. "Wheelchair accessible van" means any motor vehicle equipped with a
  hydraulic lift or ramps designed for the purpose of transporting persons
  in  wheelchairs  or  containing  any other physical device or alteration
  designed to permit access to and enable the transportation of physically
  handicapped persons.
    n. "Handicapped  transportation  service"  means  one  or  more  motor
  vehicles  for hire or operated by a non-profit organization for carrying
  passengers for hire in the city by means of a wheelchair accessible  van
  or vans and not permitted to accept hails from prospective passengers in
  the street.
    o.  "Central business district of the borough of Manhattan" means that
  area of  the  borough  of  Manhattan  lying  south  of,  and  including,
  ninety-sixth street.
    p.  "Commuter  van"  means  a  commuter  van  service having a seating
  capacity of at least nine passengers but not more than twenty passengers
  or such greater capacity as the commission may  establish  by  rule  and
  carrying passengers for hire in the city duly licensed as a commuter van
  by  the  commission  and  not permitted to accept hails from prospective
  passengers in the street. For purposes of the provisions of this chapter
  relating to  prohibitions  against  the  operation  of  an  unauthorized
  commuter   van  service  or  an  unlicensed  commuter  van  and  to  the
  enforcement of such prohibitions and to the imposition of penalties  for
  violations  of such prohibitions, the term shall also include any common
  carrier of passengers by motor vehicle not subject  to  licensure  as  a
  taxicab, for-hire vehicle, or wheelchair accessible van or not operating
  as  an authorized bus line pursuant to applicable provisions of law. The
  commission shall submit to the council the text  of  any  proposed  rule
  relating  to  the  maximum  capacity  of  commuter vans at the time such
  proposed rule is published in the City Record.
    q. "Commuter van service" means a subclassification of common carriers
  of passengers by motor vehicles as such term is defined  in  subdivision
  seven  of  section  two  of  the  transportation  law,  that  provides a
  transportation service through the use of one or more commuter vans on a
  prearranged regular daily basis, over non-specified or irregular routes,
  between a zone in a residential neighborhood and a location which  shall
  be   a   work   related   central  location,  a  mass  transit  or  mass
  transportation facility, a shopping  center,  recreational  facility  or
  airport.  A  "commuter  van  service"  shall  not include any person who
  exclusively provides: (1) any one or more of the forms of transportation
  that are specifically exempted from article seven of the  transportation
  law;  or  (2)  any  one or more of the forms of transportation regulated
  under this chapter other than transportation by commuter vans.
    r. "Security interest" means an interest  in  a  vehicle  reserved  or
  created  by  an agreement and which secures payment or performance of an
  obligation. The term includes the interest of a  lessor  under  a  lease
  intented  as security. A security interest is perfected when it is valid
  against third parties generally,  subject  only  to  specific  statutory
  exceptions.
    * s.  "Agent"  means  an  individual,  partnership or corporation that
  acts, by employment, contract or otherwise, on behalf  of  one  or  more
  owners  to  operate  or  provide  for  the  operation  of  a  taxicab in
  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  this  chapter  and   any   rule
  promulgated  by  the commission.   The term "agent" shall not include an
  attorney or representative who appears on behalf of one or  more  owners
  before the commission or an administrative tribunal, and taxicab drivers
  licensed pursuant to this chapter when acting in that capacity.

    * NB There are 2 sb s's
    * s.  "Affiliated vehicle" means a for-hire vehicle other than a black
  car or a luxury limousine which a base  station  is  authorized  by  the
  commission to dispatch.
    * NB There are 2 sb s's
    t. "Base station" means a central facility which manages, organizes or
  dispatches   affiliated   vehicles  licensed  under  this  chapter,  not
  including luxury limousines or black cars.
    u. "Black car" means a for-hire  vehicle  dispatched  from  a  central
  facility  whose  owner  holds  a franchise from the corporation or other
  business entity which operates such central facility, or who is a member
  of a cooperative that operates such central facility, where such central
  facility has certified to the satisfaction of the commission  that  more
  than  ninety percent of the central facility's for-hire business is on a
  payment basis other than direct cash payment by a passenger.
    v. "Luxury limousine" means a for-hire  vehicle  which  is  dispatched
  from  a  central facility which has certified to the satisfaction of the
  commission that more than ninety percent of its for-hire business is  on
  a payment basis other than direct cash payment by a passenger, for which
  there  is  maintained personal injury insurance coverage of no less than
  five hundred thousand dollars per accident where one person  is  injured
  and  one  million  dollars  per accident for all persons injured in that
  same accident, whose passengers are charged on the basis  of  garage  to
  garage service and on a flat rate basis or per unit of time or mileage.
    w. "Wheelchair accessible vehicle" shall mean a for-hire vehicle which
  is  designed  for  the purpose of transporting persons in wheelchairs or
  containing any physical device or alteration designed to  permit  access
  to and enable the transportation of persons in wheelchairs.