As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
BOARD
The Board of Trustees of said Village.
CLERK
The Clerk of said Village, and the Board's designee with
respect to administration of the provisions of this chapter, unless
otherwise stated to the contrary.
DISPATCH COMPANY
Any person(s), corporation, partnership or other entity that
solicits or receives requests for taxi service.
OWNER
Any person having title to one or more vehicles used for
hire as taxicabs upon the streets of the Village of Port Chester.
PERSON
One or more persons of either sex, corporations, partnerships,
associations, joint-stock companies, societies and all other entities
of any kind capable of being sued.
RATE DECAL
A decal on which is printed the tariff rates in said Village
as provided in this chapter shall be displayed conspicuously by being
affixed to the rear of the front passenger seat or headrest and should
not only post the fares for trips within the Village, but also advise
passengers that fares for outside the Village are to be determined
by agreement in advance of a trip, in a decal of uniform size as prescribed
by the Village Clerk. The rate card shall be issued to the owner of
the vehicle.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by L.L. No. 9-2009]
STREET
Any street, alley, avenue, court, bridge, lane, public place
or shopping center in the Village of Port Chester.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying persons
for hire within the limits of the Village of Port Chester, whether
the same is operated from a street stand or subject to calls from
a garage, or otherwise operated for hire, except vehicles subject
to the provisions of the Transportation Law or used by undertakers
in carrying on their business.
TAXICAB LICENSE
Permission granted to any person to own or register a vehicle
for hire as a taxicab in said Village.
TAXICAB OPERATOR
Any person who operates a taxicab, whether such person is
the owner of such taxicab or registrant of such taxicab or employed
to operate such taxicab.
TAXICAB STAND
Any place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere which
is exclusively reserved for the use of taxicabs.
VILLAGE
The Village of Port Chester.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate
any taxicab without first having obtained and paid for a license to
operate a taxicab, and having the same in force and effect, under
the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by L.L. No. 9-2009; 6-3-2019 by L.L. No. 6-2019]
No person shall operate a taxicab and no owner or registrant
or dispatcher shall permit anyone to operate a taxicab within the
Village without such operator having first obtained and paid for and
having in full force and effect a taxi operator's license as provided
in this chapter. Evidence of said licensing shall be conspicuously
displayed inside the taxicab so that it is visible to passengers.
[Added 6-3-2019 by L.L.
No. 6-2019]
A. An application for a taxi operator's license shall be made upon blank
forms furnished by the Village to the Village Clerk. Such application
shall contain a statement giving:
(1) The name and address of the operator.
(4) Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission car municipal driver's
permit number.
(5) Municipal car driver's permit expiration date.
(6) Name of taxicab owner driving for (if applicable).
(7) Name of dispatching company affiliated with.
B. The following items are to be submitted with the completed application:
(1) Copy of current Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission
municipal car driver's permit.
(2) Two passport-size photographs.
(3) Application fee in an amount as provided in Chapter
175, Fees.
C. All taxi operator's licenses shall expire on December 31 of each
year.
D. Applications for renewal shall be made by the taxi operator to the Village Clerk on blank forms furnished by the Village to the Village Clerk within 30 days of the expiration, accompanied by evidence of a current license from the Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission and renewal application fee as provided In Chapter
175, Fees.
E. A taxi operator must immediately notify the Village Clerk, in writing,
when he/she affiliates with a different dispatching company.
[Amended 6-3-2019 by L.L.
No. 6-2019]
A. Each taxicab shall have a magnetic identification sign affixed to
both front doors displaying the name of the dispatch company, the
business telephone and the number of the vehicle. Such identification
sign shall be rectangular, 18 inches in height and 24 inches in width
on a white background.
B. There shall be a distinctive color scheme for all dispatch companies
which shall be in use by all taxicabs. The colors are: red, black,
green, blue and yellow. Each company will be assigned a designated
color by the Clerk upon issuance of a license, and all taxis working
through that company shall bear that color for the lettering on the
identification sign.
C. The license number of the taxicab shall be placed on both front fenders
and the rear trunk lid. The number shall be three inches in height
and width, black on a white background.
D. Each taxicab shall be equipped with an outside roof or dome light
that has black lettering marked "Taxi" on a white background and illuminated
when in service.
Taxicab licenses may be revoked or suspended
at any time for cause after a hearing by the Taxi Commission under
the procedure set out in this chapter.
[Amended 6-15-2009 by L.L. No. 9-2009]
Any person wishing to register a complaint regarding
taxicab service may do so by obtaining a complaint form by calling
the office of the Village Clerk, who shall be empowered to investigate
same and take such action as may be deemed appropriate, either on
his or her own or by referral to the Taxi Commission or the Taxi and
Limousine Commission, as the case may be.
The Clerk shall keep a register of and furnish
to the Police Department the name of each person owning or operating
a taxicab licensed under this chapter, together with the license number
and the description and make of such vehicle, with the date and complete
record of inspections made of it.
[Amended 11-3-2003 by L.L. No. 10-2003; 12-1-2003 by L.L. No. 15-2003; 11-7-2005 by L.L. No.
6-2005; 6-3-2019 by L.L. No. 6-2019; 12-18-2023 by L.L. No. 11-2023]
The rates of fares to be taken by or paid to the owners or drivers
of public conveyances within the Village shall be as follows:
A. For conveying one passenger: $6. The rate of $2 shall be charged
for each additional passenger.
B. Children.
(1) Ages five to 12 years.
(a)
For the conveyance of children between the ages of five and
12 years, the following charges shall apply:
[1]
When a child is attended by an adult paying full fare, each
child shall be charged 1/2 of the full fare.
[2]
When a child is unattended, full fare will be charged.
(b)
The above is based on a per-stop basis.
(2) Under five years. All children under the age of five must be attended,
and there will be no charge for said children.
C. Senior citizens. Fees are $3 for all senior citizens who show evidence
of age 60 years or older. Senior citizens who travel to the contiguous
area of the Town of Rye for the purpose of medical needs, shopping
needs or visiting the senior center shall be charged the same rate.
For the purposes of determining the fare, the senior citizen shall
always be considered the primary passenger in a vehicle.
D. Students. Students traveling to and from school shall be charged
$5.
E. A charge of $3 shall be made for a passenger's suitcase, traveling
bag, valise, shopping bags or other articles carried by hand by a
passenger into a vehicle or placed in the trunk of the taxicab. There
shall be no charge for a baby stroller or baby carriage, wheelchair,
walker, crutch or other medical devices.
F. After a cab has been engaged, additional passengers may not be taken
except with the mutual consent of the passenger occupying the cab
and the passenger entering the cab.
G. The operator of a taxicab transporting a passenger or passengers
from a point within the Village limits shall charge the fares as set
forth above from the point of origin to the Village limits and may
charge such additional fares as the operator and the passenger may
agree upon for the ride beyond the Village limits. This agreement
shall be made prior to departure and will be final.
H. The rates enumerated herein may be adjusted in the future by resolution
of the Board of Trustees.
No person shall charge or attempt to charge
any passenger a greater or lower rate of fare than that prescribed
by this chapter. The only exception shall be for senior citizens and
children as prescribed in this chapter.
Every operator of a taxicab, immediately after
the completion of the fare, shall carefully search such taxicab for
any property lost or left therein, and any such property, unless sooner
claimed or delivered to the owner, shall be taken to the nearest police
station and deposited with the officer in charge within one hour after
the finding thereof
[Amended 6-15-2009 by L.L. No. 9-2009; 6-3-2019 by L.L. No. 6-2019]
A. Any owner or operator of a taxicab or a taxi dispatching company
in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of
a violation and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not
less than $250 or by imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or by both
such fine and imprisonment.
B. Any person not having been duly licensed as a taxicab operator, any
person whose licensee as such operator has been revoked or any person
whose license has been suspended by the Village and who, during the
term of nonlicense, revocation or suspension, operates a taxicab upon
the streets of the Village shall be guilty of a violation and, upon
conviction, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment
not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
C. Upon conviction of any person for any violation of a provision of
this chapter for which no punishment is specifically provided, the
violation shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment
not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
D. In addition to the fine or imprisonment, or both, authorized by this
chapter, any Village licensee shall be subject to the suspension or
revocation of his or her license upon conviction for any violation
of this chapter. The Taxi Commission may, in its discretion, suspend
or revoke a license granted under this chapter pending, or in advance
of, any criminal prosecution of the licensee.
E. The penalties provided herein are nonexclusive to any other remedy
at law or in equity, including the authority of the Village Attorney
to commence a civil action or proceeding to accomplish enforcement.
In order to provide for better enforcement of
this chapter, the Chief of Police shall be instructed to order the
entire police force to assist in the enforcement thereof at all times.
A running record of convictions of this chapter in addition to moving
violations as evidenced by summonses or arrests should be kept up-to-date
by the Justice Court and be made available for use by the Taxi Commission
and Clerk during suspension and revocation hearings.