It shall be unlawful for any person to engage any vehicle in the business of transportation for hire within the Town of Huntington without first having secured a certificate for each vehicle used in and by said business from the Town Clerk.
Business owners are responsible for ensuring that all vehicles possessing certificates are outfitted with such equipment as may be prescribed, from time to time, by the State of New York, County of Suffolk and/or Town of Huntington. Evidence of the presence of such equipment in a vehicle shall be filed with the Town Clerk with the certificate application. Current certificate holders shall file with the Town Clerk proof of satisfactory installation of such equipment.
The regulations set forth herein are mandatory and are the responsibility of the owner as to themselves and their vehicles, operators and/or employees during all times and operations of the business and of the operator while in possession of a vehicle.
A. Compliance, generally. Each vehicle must be in compliance with all requirements of this chapter, all ordinances, local laws, codes, laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to those concerning vehicles, traffic and parking, of the Town of Huntington, County of Suffolk and State of New York.
B. Compliance, owners. Each vehicle must specifically be in compliance with all business owner regulations set forth in this chapter, as they may apply to vehicles.
C. Compliance, operators. Each vehicle must specifically be in compliance with all vehicle operator regulations set forth in this chapter, as they may apply to vehicles.
D. Accident reports. All accidents involving any vehicle must be reported to the appropriate Police Department having jurisdiction thereof within seven days of the occurrence thereof
E. Identification devices. Each vehicle must have posted therein any and all identification devices required in this chapter.
F. Maintenance. Each vehicle must be kept clean, sanitary, fit, of good appearance and in a safe condition for the transportation of passengers, including repair of all malfunctions and/or damages and must comply with all alterations and/or additions that may be required.
G. Omnibus plates. Each vehicle having a seating capacity for passengers of not more than seven, in addition to the driver, and equipped with handles or other devices which shall permit the door or doors to the passenger compartment to be readily opened from the interior of the vehicle must bear omnibus registration plates issued by the State of New York.
H. Taxicab identification. Each vehicle used as a cab, as defined hereinabove, must be equipped with a permanent raised dome light affixed to the roof, with "taxi," "taxicab" or the business name imprinted thereon, and must have "taxi" or "taxicab" and the business telephone number permanently affixed to each side of the exterior, not less than four inches in height, and the business name and address must be permanently affixed to the lower portion of the front door, on each side of the exterior, not less than one and one-fourth (1 1/4) inches in height.
I. Car top advertising. Each vehicle used as a taxicab may, upon annual application to the Town Clerk, be equipped with a car top advertising device no greater in size than forty-nine (49) inches long by fifteen (15) inches high.
[Added 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 3-2011]
The activities set forth herein are unlawful, are therefore prohibited and are the responsibility of the owner as to themselves and their vehicles, operators and/or employees during all times and operations of the business and of the operator while in possession of a vehicle:
(A) Noncompliance, generally. Each vehicle may not be in violation of any requirements of this chapter, as they may apply to vehicles.
(B) Noncompliance, owners. Each vehicle may not specifically be in violation of any prohibited business owner activities, as they may apply to vehicles.
(C) Noncompliance, operators. Each vehicle may not specifically be in violation of any prohibited vehicle operator activities, as they may apply to vehicles.
(D) Attention-seeking devices. No vehicle may be operated with the use of loudspeakers, noisemaking devices and/or any other attention-seeking devices upon any street, road, highway, alley, park or other public place within the town for the purpose of attracting attention to solicitation of passengers or for any other purpose.
(E) Invalid documents. No vehicle may be operated while its certificate of operation, or any appropriate New York State issued registration or inspection certificate, is not in effect, has expired or has been suspended or revoked.
(F) Liveries as taxis. No vehicle bearing private livery registration plates may be used as a taxicab within the Town of Huntington.
(G) Signs and/or displays. No vehicle may be operated with the use of signs and/or displays, except as required by this chapter.
(H) Trailers. No vehicle may be operated to transport passengers while a trailer or semitrailer is attached or secured thereto.
(I) Temporary identification devices. No taxicab may be operated with the use of magnetic or removable raised domes and/or required identification markings on its exterior.