Tipton board opens review of 1973 taxi ordinance amid growth of ride-hailing
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Summary
The Board of Public Safety began discussing updates to Tipton City's 1973 taxi-license ordinance — including vehicle inspections, driver background checks and whether ride-hailing services fall under local rules — and agreed to gather more information before drafting changes.
The Tipton City Board of Public Safety opened a multi-part discussion about revising the city’s taxi-license ordinance, which dates to 1973, to reflect modern transportation services and to strengthen safety requirements.
"The ordinance today states that the clerk treasurer's office would provide inspection of the vehicle to make sure it's in proper working condition," Speaker 6 said, and asked whether that remains the appropriate inspection authority. Speaker 6 also raised questions about criminal background checks, insurance expectations and clarifying the distinction between "public passenger" and "for hire."
Speaker 2 described options for the board: forward the existing ordinance, modify key sections, or draft a new model. He noted the ordinance predates ride-hailing services and asked, "Does this apply to Uber?" Speaker 4 said he did not believe current language covers ride-sharing in the same way and referenced state statutes and independent licensing for some services.
Board members debated enforcement and cost. Speaker 2 said the current application fee is $25 and suggested adding a driver background check; another participant referenced a $50 figure for background checks while Speaker 2 later cited an online state limited-criminal-history report cost of "$16.32." Members warned about practical enforcement challenges such as high driver turnover and whether the city can run statewide background checks without state police involvement.
Members agreed to gather more information before drafting ordinance language: meet with local providers (referred to in discussion as 'Encore') to determine whether they meet the city’s for-hire definition, research state statute implications, and clarify what a city-run background-check regime would require. No ordinance amendments were adopted at the meeting; the board directed further study and follow-up at the committee level.
Next steps: staff to research state background-check options and costs, meet with local providers to confirm service models, and return with draft language or recommendations.