It shall be unlawful for any person to engage any vehicle in any taxicab business within the Town of Brookhaven without first having secured a certificate for each vehicle used in and by said business from the Commissioner.
A. 
Application. Applications for a certificate or certificate renewal required herein shall be filed with the Commissioner, on a form supplied by the Commissioner. Said application shall be in the form of a sworn affidavit by the applicant stating that all of the information therein is true and accurate to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, including the information set forth hereinbelow:
(1) 
Vehicle information.
(a) 
Copies of the current, valid title and New York State vehicle registration (indicating make, type, seating capacity, registration number, vehicle identification number and license plate number) for said vehicle.
(b) 
The fleet number of the vehicle, if applicable.
(c) 
Insurance requirements as set forth in § 67-29 herein.
(d) 
A copy of the current, valid New York State inspection certificate of said vehicle.
[1] 
Each application shall be accompanied by the vehicle's New York State registration showing that the certificate of inspection, as provided for in New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, has been issued for said vehicle.
[2] 
The certificate of inspection shall not, however, be conclusive against the Town but shall be evidence merely that the owner of the vehicle has had an inspection made as required by this chapter.
[3] 
Nothing herein shall prevent local police authorities from making further inspections of said vehicles at any time, and local police authorities are hereby given specific authority to make inspections whenever they are deemed to be necessary by the police for public health, safety and welfare.
(2) 
Business information.
(a) 
A copy of the applicant's license or license application as filed with the Commissioner, including all information required to be included in said application.
(b) 
The name, address (local address and legal address, if different) and telephone number of the vehicle owner, if different than the business owner, and all information regarding said owner as if he or she were an applicant for a business owner's license.
(3) 
Miscellaneous information. Any additional information the Commissioner shall deem necessary for the purpose of administering the provisions of this chapter or to assist in determining the vehicle's fitness to engage in the business of transportation for hire.
B. 
Modification. Any change in circumstance with regard to the information required herein shall be reported in writing to the Commissioner within 30 days of occurrence.
A. 
Conformance. No certificate shall be issued or renewed unless and until the owner has certified to the Commissioner in a form approved by the Commissioner that said vehicle is in conformance with all the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
Rules and regulations. The Commissioner may establish reasonable rules and regulations for vehicle inspections, including but not limited to inspections performed at anytime under the direction and supervision of or by any Town employee or official designated by the Town.
C. 
Scheduled inspections. In the event that any vehicle is found to be in violation of any provisions of this chapter, pursuant to a scheduled inspection, the applicant shall be issued a warning summons, which shall state the violation and the corrective measures to be taken.
D. 
Random inspections. In the event that any vehicle is found operating while in violation of any provisions of this chapter, pursuant to a random inspection, the driver shall be issued a warning summons, which shall state the violation, and the corrective measures to be taken.
E. 
Compliance. Proof that the violations have been corrected or repaired shall be filed with the Commissioner within 48 hours of the issuance of a warning summons. If not, the Commissioner shall immediately disapprove the application or suspend the certificate of said vehicle and set the time and place for a revocation hearing, as prescribed in this chapter.
F. 
Waiver of disapproval or suspension. Any certificate disapproved or suspended pursuant hereto, may be approved or reinstated after the filing of a request for a waiver from the Commissioner, based on submission of proof within 10 days of the disapproval or suspension, that corrective measures have been taken. If said proof is not submitted in a timely manner and/or the Town Board revokes the certificate, a new application, Town inspection and fee shall be required.
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 Brookhaven. Evidence of the presence of such equipment in a vehicle shall be kept on file at the taxicab company and made available for review by the Commissioner pursuant to § 67-7A(1).
A. 
Each owner licensed under this chapter who shall desire to add to the number of taxicabs he is then operating shall file with the Commissioner a written application, under oath, stating:
(1) 
The name and address of the applicant.
(2) 
The applicant's owner's license number.
(3) 
Any facts which the applicant believes tend to prove that the public convenience and necessity require such an addition.
(4) 
A description of each additional taxicab, including the make; model; passenger seating capacity; year of manufacture; state registration number, and vehicle identification number.
B. 
If the Commissioner shall find that the addition of such taxicab or taxicabs is required by the public convenience and necessity and that the applicant has complied with the requirements of § 67-24, then he shall issue a supplementary owner's license, stating the name and address of the applicant; the number of the license assigned to such vehicle; and the date of issuance thereof; and at the same time the Commissioner shall issue for each vehicle licensed pursuant to this section a license card bearing the words "Licensed Taxicab," an assigned number and the date of expiration of such license; otherwise the applicant shall be denied.
C. 
In making the findings required by Subsection B, the Commissioner shall take into consideration the matters specified in §§ 67-12, 67-13 and 67-24.
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 Brookhaven, 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 24 hours of the occurrence thereof.
E. 
Identification devices. Each vehicle must have posted therein any and all identification devices required in this chapter.
F. 
Inspections. Each vehicle and its equipment must be inspected at least once during each week, the results of which must be noted in the written log maintained for that vehicle, and must pass all Town, state and police inspections.
G. 
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.
H. 
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.
I. 
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 1 1/4 inches in height.
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 requirement 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 for 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 Brookhaven.
G. 
Signs and/or displays. No vehicle may be operated with the use of signs and/or displays, except as required by Article V of this chapter.
H. 
Trailers. No vehicle may be operated to transport passengers while a trailer or semi-trailer 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.