The following regulations shall be observed
in the operation and driving of taxicabs, limousines, private livery
cars or private livery vans upon the public highways within the Town.
Each regulation applicable to taxicabs, limousines and private livery
vans shall also apply to private livery cars.
A. Every vehicle operated upon the streets of the Town
as a taxicab, limousine or private livery van shall be kept clean,
sanitary, fit and of good appearance and in a safe condition for the
transportation of passengers.
B. Identification.
(1) Each taxicab operated hereunder shall have a permanently
affixed roof light with the word "taxicab" imprinted thereon in such
manner that it shall be visible at all times.
(2) Each taxicab and private livery van shall bear on
the outside of each front door the name and address of the owner in
letters not less than two inches and not more than four inches in
height, either painted thereon or otherwise securely affixed thereto.
A private livery car shall display inside the vehicle the name and
address of the owner and the name and address of the affiliated base
owner.
(3) Each licensed prearranged for-hire vehicle shall display
evidence of a current, valid prearranged for-hire vehicle license,
which shall be affixed to the windshield of said vehicle.
[Added 11-18-2008 by L.L. No. 14-2008]
(4) The use of magnets and magnetic signs is prohibited.
There shall also be affixed to the left side of the front and rear
bumpers of each taxicab, limousine and private livery car, in a conspicuous
place, the license medallion issued by the Town Clerk as hereinabove
provided. A valid license card must be present in the taxicab and
private livery van and available to inspection at all times.
[Amended 2-6-1996 by L.L. No. 3-1996; 11-18-2008 by L.L. No. 14-2008]
C. No person shall drive any taxicab or private livery
van upon the streets of the Town unless the license of the driver
is displayed in such vehicle in full view of the passengers in a location
and in a container approved by the Town Clerk.
[Amended 2-6-1996 by L.L. No. 3-1996]
D. The driver of every taxicab shall at all times remain
in the driver's compartment or immediately adjacent to his taxicab
when such vehicle is in any taxi stand.
E. No taxicab driver shall solicit passengers except
while parked or standing at a taxi stand and when sitting in the driver's
compartment of such taxicab or while standing immediately adjacent
thereto. Solicitation in a loud or annoying tone of voice or done
in any manner so as to annoy or obstruct the movement of any person
is prohibited. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent
stopping for the purpose of picking up and discharging passengers.
F. No taxicab driver shall cruise in search of passengers.
G. No taxicab, limousine or private livery van driver
shall permit more persons to be carried in his motor vehicle than
the number for which he has seating facilities.
H. No taxicab driver shall refuse or neglect to convey
any orderly persons upon request unless previously engaged to full
capacity or unless the transportation of such person shall substantially
delay or inconvenience passengers who have already engaged his taxicab.
I. No passenger in a taxicab shall be kept waiting longer
than 10 minutes before proceeding to his destination without the consent
of the passenger.
J. All accidents in which any taxicab, limousine or private
livery van shall be involved shall be reported to the Police Department
having jurisdiction thereof within seven days after the happening
thereof.
K. Every taxicab, limousine or private livery van driver,
as soon as practicable after his motor vehicle is emptied of passengers,
shall carefully search said vehicle for any property left there by
any passenger, and if he shall find any such property, he shall immediately
deliver it to the Police Department having jurisdiction.
L. Every taxicab, limousine or private livery van driver
shall obey all laws, rules and regulations while driving such vehicle
and, upon conviction for any misdemeanor or felony, shall report the
same within five days to the Town Clerk, advising him of the nature
of the offense and the name and location of the court and the date
on which such conviction was rendered.
M. No person other than the driver or a passenger shall
enter any taxicab while it is in operation as such.
N. Every licensed taxicab, limousine or private livery
van driver shall, within 48 hours, notify the Town Clerk of any change
of his address or loss of either his driver's license, his driver's
badge or his New York State driver's license of a proper class.
O. No taxicab owner or driver shall demand or suggest
that any passenger or prospective passenger pay a fare larger than
that prescribed.
P. Every dispatcher or taxicab driver shall keep a written
record of all trips, on a form approved by the Town Clerk, showing
the time and place each passenger engaged his taxicab and the time
and place he left such taxicab. Such record shall be retained by the
owner of such taxicab for at least one year.
Q. It shall be unlawful for a passenger to refuse to
pay the agreed-upon or established fare.
R. No taxicab, limousine or private livery van owner
shall change his place of terminal without first notifying the Town
Clerk, in writing.
S. Every taxicab, limousine or private livery van owner,
upon the sale or other disposition of a licensed taxicab, limousine
or private livery van, shall, within 24 hours, notify the Town Clerk
of such sale or other disposition and surrender the licenses and stickers
issued for the transferred vehicle.
T. It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to surrender
a license or sticker to the Town Clerk upon demand or after such license
has been suspended, revoked or expired.
U. No trailer or semitrailer shall be attached or secured
to a taxicab, limousine or private livery van while it is being used
to transport passengers.
V. It shall be unlawful for a limousine to be used as
a taxicab or in place of a taxicab for any purpose.
W. If a taxicab is carrying two or more persons to different
destinations, the driver shall be the sole judge of the order in which
such persons shall be delivered to their destination, and the shortest
possible route shall be followed.
X. No private livery car shall be dispatched other than
by a licensed base with which it is affiliated as required by this
chapter.
Y. A record of each interjurisdictional trip shall be
entered into a log prior to the commencement of such trip. Such record
shall be maintained and kept readily accessible in the vehicle and
produced at the request of any police officer or peace officer acting
pursuant to his or her special duties or other enforcement personnel
authorized by the Town of North Hempstead. Such record shall be kept
for a period of no less than five years after such trip. Failure to
produce such a log maintained in the manner prescribed by such jurisdiction
when requested by a police officer or other enforcement personnel
shall be presumptive evidence of illegal interjurisdictional operation.
[Added 11-18-2008 by L.L. No. 14-2008]
Z. The owner of each motor vehicle licensed as a prearranged
for-hire vehicle shall hold a valid vehicle registration for such
vehicle issued by the department for which a registration fee has
been paid pursuant to schedule C of subdivision 7 of § 401
of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York or, in the
case of a nonresident of the State of New York, a vehicle registration
issued by the state of residence.
[Added 11-18-2008 by L.L. No. 14-2008]
AA. No owner of a vehicle licensed as a prearranged for-hire
vehicle by the Town of North Hempstead or any person or business engaged
in the for-hire transportation of passengers by motor vehicle that
is affiliated with the Town of North Hempstead shall do business within
any jurisdiction in which it seeks to operate on an interjurisdictional
basis. “Do business” shall mean having a place of business
or telephone number in such jurisdiction relating to for-hire transportation
of passengers by motor vehicle.
[Added 11-18-2008 by L.L. No. 14-2008]