§ 39-14-9 - Vehicles to be operated by owner or employee – Assignment or lease of rights. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 39-14-9

   § 39-14-9  Vehicles to be operated by owneror employee – Assignment or lease of rights. – No taxicab or limited public motor vehicle subject to the provisions of thischapter shall be operated except by the owner or an employee of the owner, andit shall be unlawful for the owner of any taxicab or limited public motorvehicle to enter into any contract, agreement, arrangement, or understanding,express or implied, with an operator thereof, by the terms of which theoperator pays to or for the account of the owner a fixed or determinable sumfor the use of the taxicab or limited public motor vehicle unless the contract,agreement, arrangement, or understanding, express or implied, has been approvedby the division. Every person proposing to enter into a contract, agreement,arrangement, or understanding, whereby the owner of a taxicab or limited publicmotor vehicle leases or otherwise lets a taxicab or limited public motorvehicle to an operator, shall file with the administrator, in the form to beprovided by him or her, an application for approval of the agreement. Thedivision shall, upon written application setting forth the purpose, terms, andconditions of the lease agreement, after investigation, approve or deny therequest. The lease agreement shall be approved by the administrator if, afterinvestigation, the applicant operator is found to be fit, willing, and able toperform the authorized service and to conform to the provisions of this chapterand the requirements, orders, rules, and regulations of the administratorthereunder; provided, however, that any lease agreement may only be enteredinto on a vehicle or vehicles, and the certificate or certificates issuedpertaining to the vehicle or vehicles which has been operating and actively andcontinuously engaged in the conduct of business on a daily basis for twelve(12) months prior to the date of application.