(a) Every municipality, or other governmental entity, is hereby expressly authorized and empowered to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by licensing, controlling, and regulating by ordinance or resolution each private passenger-for-hire vehicle providing transportation services operated within the jurisdiction of the municipality or other governmental entity.
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 7-51-1003
governmental entity: means any political subdivision of the state of Tennessee and any municipality, metropolitan government, county or airport authority. See Tennessee Code 7-51-1002
Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(b) Every municipality or other governmental entity is empowered to regulate the following:
(1) Entry into the business of providing passenger transportation service, including taxicab service, within the jurisdiction of that municipality or governmental entity;(2) The rates charged for the provision of such passenger transportation service;(3) The establishment of safety and insurance requirements even if they reduce the number of such private passenger vehicles for hire that otherwise would operate within the jurisdiction of the municipality or other governmental entity;(4) The establishment of stands to be employed by one (1) or a limited number of firms providing passenger transportation;(5) Limited or exclusive access by such passenger transportation service, including taxicab service, to airports or other facilities operated by or within the jurisdiction of the municipality or other governmental entity;(6) The drivers of private passenger vehicles for hire;(7) The routes and stops of fixed route private passenger vehicles for hire; and(8) Any other requirement adopted to ensure safe and reliable passenger transportation service.
