§ 46-26. Taxicabs at George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston.

(a)

The provisions of this section shall apply to all taxicab service at any place upon the grounds of George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston (IAH).

(b)

The director of aviation shall establish one or more locations at or near the various terminal buildings at IAH as taxicab arrival and departure loading zones for the loading and discharge of passengers and baggage by taxicabs. It shall be unlawful for any licensee to load or discharge passengers or baggage at any location within the airline terminal areas of IAH other than in a zone so established.

(c)

The director of aviation shall establish taxicab standing lines to service the departure loading zones designated under subsection (b) above. It shall be unlawful for any licensee to cause his vehicle to stand upon any area of IAH other than in a designated standing line. It is a defense to prosecution under this subsection that the operator has lawfully stopped his vehicle in order to comply with a traffic control device or that the operator is actually and lawfully engaged in the loading or unloading of passengers or baggage.

(d)

Except where the passenger may request the service of a particular taxicab, departing passengers at IAH terminals will be assigned to taxicabs waiting in the standing lines by starters who have been designated by the director of aviation to operate the various departure zones and standing lines. Taxicabs will be assigned from the standing lines on a first-in-line-first-to-depart basis, provided that the director of aviation shall administratively provide by rule for the priority reassignment of any taxicab operating from a standing line that receives a short trip. For purposes of this provision, short trip means a trip within an area immediately adjacent to IAH as defined on a map promulgated for that purpose by the director of aviation.

(e)

A licensee carrying a passenger or passengers from IAH shall pay to the city the airport use fee established from time to time by division 3 of article II of chapter 9 of this Code. The licensee shall deposit the fee in the manner prescribed by the director of aviation, and the fee may be added by the licensee to metered fares and flat rate fares for trips originating from IAH. Where passengers are being carried to two or more destinations, the airport use fee shall be prorated among them on a per destination basis.

(Ord. No. 2014-754, § 2(Exh. A), 8-6-2014)