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[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsection B(3) as Subsection B(4).
(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]
A. 
At the time a taxicab owner submits his application and on all succeeding renewal applications, a schedule of rates for that license period shall be filed with the Town Clerk.
B. 
The schedule of rates required to be filed pursuant to § 52-39A shall include the rates of fare to be charged for a shared ride, group ride and exclusive ride, which rates shall not exceed the maximum fares on file with the Town Clerk.
C. 
No rate may be increased until notification to the Town Clerk after notice thereof advertised in a local newspaper for two successive weeks and then only upon filing proof of such publication with the Town Clerk.
D. 
There shall be displayed in the passenger compartment of each taxicab licensed hereunder, in full view of the passenger, the rates of fare as filed with the Town Clerk. These rates of fare shall be displayed in a container of type and design approved by the Town Clerk.
E. 
Fuel surcharge. A fuel surcharge may be imposed by a taxicab owner only upon the authority of the Town Board, acting upon the recommendation of the Town Clerk.
[Added 10-18-2005 by L.L. No. 8-2005]
A. 
All taxicabs, limousines, private livery cars and private livery vans must have available a federally approved child car seat for each child passenger required to use a car seat under New York State law, if a request for such car seat has been made by a passenger in advance, at the time of a request by telephone for services.
B. 
All owners must maintain, in vehicles or at a terminal, a total number of federally approved car seats equal to 20% of their licensed vehicles and in no case less than one car seat.
C. 
A failure to comply with this section shall be grounds for revocation or nonrenewal of an owner's license.