Responsibilities. The Township Clerk, Director of Public Safety,
Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Officer shall be charged with
the administration and enforcement of this chapter in accordance with
the following description of responsibilities:
Forward applications for taxi owner's licenses to the Township
Zoning Officer for approval of the proposed central place of businesses
that is to be located within the Township;
Keep and maintain a record of all persons and vehicles licensed
or rejected for licenses under the provisions of this chapter. Such
record shall contain all information relating to ownership and operation
of such licenses and vehicles.
Conduct a thorough background investigation on each applicant,
including, when required, fingerprinting and receipt of a report from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State of New Jersey;
Immediately suspend any taxi owner's license if an inspection
revealed a taxi to be in an unsafe or unsanitary condition or if,
in the opinion of the Director of Public Safety, the health, safety
or welfare of passengers would be endangered if a license was not
immediately revoked or suspended.
The Zoning Officer shall review the application and certify in writing that the central place of business indicated, if located within the Township, is not in a residential zone, that there is sufficient off-street parking available during all hours of the day and night to accommodate the number of taxis the applicant proposes to license and that the off-street parking is adequately buffered from adjacent residential uses in accordance with § 311-9G(3). If the licensee intends to occupy space in a building at the central place of business, if located within the Township, the Zoning Officer shall issue the required certificate of use for occupancy.
The Zoning Officer or a Code Enforcement Officer shall investigate
all complaints, with the exception of complaints relative to cruising,
loitering and illegal parking.
Anyone alleging a violation of this chapter may file a formal complaint
with the Code Enforcement Office or Police Department, depending upon
the nature of the complaint.
Upon receipt of a complaint alleging a violation of the North Brunswick
Taxi Ordinance, the Code Enforcement Office or the Township Police
Department, depending upon the alleged violation, shall observe the
alleged violation if possible, conduct an investigation and issue
a summons if warranted.
All complaints, with the exception of cruising, loitering and illegal
parking, shall be filed with the Code Enforcement Office. Complaints
may be initiated by calling the Code Enforcement Office. If a complainant
wants to file an official complaint with the Code Enforcement Office,
the complainant must appear in person at the Code Enforcement Office
and sign an official complaint form. No investigation will begin until
the complainant has signed an official complaint form.
The Code Enforcement Office shall investigate all complaints which
are not handled by the Police Department by examining records and/or
taxicabs. Upon receipt of a call from the Code Enforcement Office,
the holder of a taxi owner's license must present all requested
records to the Code Enforcement Office by 12:00 noon of the following
business day. If the complaint involves the leaking of fluids, the
driver of the taxi alleged to be in violation shall report to the
Township's Department of Public Works garage within one hour
of the Code Enforcement Office contacting the company. If the taxi
is found to be leaking, the taxi shall immediately be designated off
duty, and shall not be put back on duty until a copy of an invoice
or repair order for correcting said leak has been filed with the Code
Enforcement Office.
Complaints relative to cruising, loitering at a public taxi stand and illegal parking shall be made directly to the Police Department while the alleged violation is ongoing. The Police Department shall dispatch a vehicle, if one is available at the time, to observe the alleged cruising, loitering or illegal parking. If loitering at a public taxi stand is observed, or if the taxi is observed to be parked or traveling at a slow rate of speed in an effort to solicit prospective passengers for hire, in any area other than a designated public taxi stand, a summons shall be issued for violation of § 311-22A or 311-26, respectively. If a taxi that is not licensed in North Brunswick is parked in a designated public taxi stand, a summons shall be issued under § 311-30H.
Complainants who call the Police Department to investigate alleged
cruising, loitering or illegal parking must identify themselves at
the time of the call, including their taxi license number if applicable.
If the complainant is a taxi owner or driver, he/she must also appear
at the police desk to sign an official complaint within 24 hours of
calling in the complaint. If a complaint is not signed, the complaint
will be dismissed.
A holder of an owner's license may establish a call box
in a shopping center designated for location of a public taxi stand
upon consent of the property owner and approval of the Township Planner.