(a) No person, association, limited liability company or corporation shall operate a taxicab until such person, association, limited liability company or corporation has obtained a certificate from the Department of Transportation certifying that public convenience and necessity require the operation of a taxicab or taxicabs for transportation of passengers, the acceptance or solicitation of which originates within the territory specified in such certificate except as provided under subsection (d) of this section. No such certificate shall be issued unless the department finds that the person, association, limited liability company or corporation is suitable to operate a taxicab service, after giving due consideration to, at a minimum, the following factors: (1) Any convictions of the applicant under federal, state or local laws relative to safety, motor vehicle or criminal violations; (2) the number of taxicabs to be operated under the certificate, provided no applicant for a new certificate shall operate fewer than three taxicabs; (3) the adequacy of the applicant’s financial resources to operate the taxicab service; (4) the adequacy of insurance coverage and safety equipment; and (5) the availability of qualified taxicab operators. The commissioner shall request the state criminal history records check for any person or any officer of any association, limited liability company or corporation applying for such certificate from the State Police Bureau of Identification. The commissioner shall arrange for the fingerprinting of any person or any officer of any association, limited liability company or corporation applying for such certificate and forward the fingerprints to said bureau which shall submit the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check for any federal conviction specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection. The commissioner shall charge a fee for each such national criminal history records check which shall be equal to the fee charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for performing such check. Such certificate shall be issued only after written application, fingerprinting and said criminal history records check for the same has been made and public hearing held thereon. The application shall be accompanied by a fee of two thousand dollars and the fee for said criminal history records check. Upon receipt of such application, the department shall fix a time and place of hearing thereon and shall promptly give written notice of the pendency of such application and of the time and place of such hearing to the applicant, the mayor of each city, the warden of each borough or the first selectman of each town in which the applicant desires to originate the transportation of such passengers, and to any common carrier operating within the territory specified. Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection to the contrary, the department may, upon receipt of a written application, amend an existing certificate to increase the number of taxicabs which may be operated pursuant to the certificate without holding a hearing on the application, provided the department issues a legal notice of such application in a daily newspaper in accordance with the provisions of section 1-2, gives written notice of the pendency of such application to any common carrier operating within the territory specified and no objection is filed with the department within thirty days of each such notice.

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(b) Any town, city or borough within which taxicab service is operated or any interested party may bring a written petition to the department with respect to fares, service, operation or equipment or the convenience, protection and safety of passengers and the public. Thereupon, the department may fix a time and place for a hearing upon such petition, and give written notice thereof to the parties in interest at least one week prior to such hearing.

(c) No certificate shall be sold or transferred until the department, upon written application to it setting forth the purpose, terms and conditions thereof, and after investigation, finds that the purchaser or transferee is suitable to operate a taxicab service after consideration of the factors specified in subsection (a) of this section and approves the same. The application shall be accompanied by a fee of one thousand dollars. The department may amend or, for sufficient cause shown, may suspend or revoke any such certificate. The department may impose a civil penalty on any person or any officer of any association, limited liability company or corporation or any driver who violates any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted under section 13b-96 with respect to fares, service, operation or equipment, in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars per day for each violation. Any such certificate issued by the department shall remain valid unless suspended or revoked by the department. Any such certificate issued by the Division of Public Utility Control within the Department of Business Regulation prior to October 1, 1979, or by any transit district prior to March 1, 1997, shall remain valid unless suspended or revoked by the Department of Transportation.

(d) Any person, association, limited liability company or corporation which has obtained a certificate under subsection (a) of this section, after providing proof that service has been active and in compliance with all relevant statutes and regulations, may solicit, receive and discharge taxicab passengers at Bradley International Airport, subject to formal agreement with the executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. Any such person, association, limited liability company or corporation may discharge taxicab passengers received at such airport within a territory other than the territory specified in its certificate. The executive director may charge and collect a reasonable fee from any such person, association, limited liability company or corporation for the privilege of solicitation of such passengers.