No person operating a vehicle-for-hire shall have or permit to be on or in such vehicle or on or about any person within the vehicle-for-hire anything which may interfere with the proper operation of such vehicle. No vehicle-for-hire shall be operated if it is unsafe or improperly equipped. At no time shall any vehicle-for-hire be operated when the passengers therein are in excess of its licensed seating capacity. A seatbelt must be available for each passenger and used.
No owner or person having the care of a vehicle-for-hire shall permit, suffer, or allow any person other than a vehicle-for-hire operator who is licensed by the Chief of Police to operate such vehicle-for-hire.
A. 
The operator of a vehicle-for-hire shall maintain a legible written record of all trips during all shifts worked. This record must contain the name and address of the vehicle-for-hire operator, time of the beginning and termination of each trip, location of the first and last stop on each trip, and the total fare charged for each trip.
B. 
The written record of trips must be available for inspection upon demand by a police officer and must also be turned in to the vehicle-for-hire business owner for recordkeeping purposes at the end of the operator's shift. Upon demand of the examiner, the owner of a licensed vehicle-for-hire must produce a record of all trips made by such vehicle for a period of 180 days prior to the date of demand.
[Amended 2-15-2012 by Order No. FY 12-085]
No person having charge of a vehicle-for-hire shall take up or carry any passenger after the vehicle has been occupied or engaged by a prior passenger without the permission of the first passenger.
No person in charge of a vehicle-for-hire shall allow anyone to ride upon the driver's seat or adjacent to the driver's seat; provided, however, that a bona fide passenger may ride adjacent to the driver's seat when:
A. 
The seats inside the vehicle-for-hire are fully occupied; or
B. 
The physical condition of the passenger necessitates the use of the front seat.
No owner or operator of a vehicle-for-hire shall participate in, or allow passengers to participate in, any illegal activities. It shall be unlawful for any operator of a vehicle-for-hire to drink any intoxicating liquor while on duty or to use any profane or obscene language, or to disturb the peace in any way, or to smoke while transporting passengers. No employee shall smoke in any public room or area where the general public has access as a customer or visitor.
The driver of a vehicle-for-hire shall search the interior of the vehicle, including the trunk if used by a passenger, at the end of each shift. Found property shall be brought to the vehicle-for-hire business office. If any dangerous or illegal item is found in the vehicle, then the licensed vehicle-for-hire operator shall notify the Police Department immediately. The vehicle-for-hire business owners shall be responsible for bringing any found items to the Police Department within 24 hours of discovery.
Every operator or owner of a vehicle-for-hire shall, when requested, give the customer a receipt. The receipt must contain the date, starting and ending time, fare, miles traveled in whole miles and tenths of a mile, vehicle-for-hire license number, and the phone number of the vehicle-for-hire business license holder.
[Amended 2-15-2012 by Order No. FY 12-085]
The Board of License Commissioners, in coordination with the Department of Public Works, may designate taxi stands, the number and location of which may be at their discretion. No taxi shall occupy any part of the public highway for the purpose of soliciting business except at designated taxi stands. No operator of a taxi shall pick up a fare at a taxi stand designated for another licensed taxi business without its permission, nor shall a taxi pick up a fare who has called another licensed taxi. The license fee for each taxi stand shall be $100 annually and shall be collected by the Chief of Police and turned over to the Town Treasurer.
[Amended 2-15-2012 by Order No. FY 12-085]
It shall be the duty of the operator of any taxi to accept as passengers any person who seeks to use the taxi, provided such person conducts himself/herself in an orderly manner. No person shall be admitted to a taxi occupied by a passenger without consent of the passenger.
Loud or importunate solicitation of passengers for taxis on the public way is prohibited.
No taxi shall be used as transportation-for-hire for the delivery of any alcoholic beverages or alcohol without a common carrier's license issued by the Department of Public Utilities and without a permit issued by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission as required by MGL c. 138, as amended. This section is not intended to prohibit passengers from purchasing and transporting alcoholic beverages.
Any person convicted of a violation of any rule or regulation herein contained shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $200 for each offense. The Chief of Police may also revoke or suspend a license.