An ordinance that tightens restrictions on taxi drivers picking up passengers within Plainsboro has been adopted.
The Plainsboro Township Committee voted unanimously to pass the ordinance at its meeting on July 14, after its first revision since 2001. The ordinance ensures the cars are in safe condition by governing both the inspection of taxis and the documentation that must be provided by a driver.
Under the provisions of the new ordinance, taxi companies who pick up passengers in Plainsboro would have to register with the township. Registration will enter the cab’s information into the police computer system with the taxi license’s expiration date.
A taxi cannot be more than 84 months old and must be in safe condition, under the ordinance. Each driver must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or New York driver’s license. The ordinance also requires an investigation into a driver’s background and driving record. The ordinance also prohibits smoking by the drivers and passengers.
The township has also changed the identification system. Under former procedure, police issued stickers for the rear bumper, requiring new stickers each year. Under the new ordinance, the expiration date of the license is entered into the police computer system. When an officer runs the license plate of the cab, the expiration date for the license is shown.
The ordinance also requires taxi drivers to keep their taxi licenses inside the car so they can provide it to officers during a stop. The license is only required to pick up fares in town. A cab driver who picks up a passenger elsewhere and drives into Plainsboro to drop the person off is not required to register with the township.
The township is expecting a large increase in the number of cabs operating in Plainsboro because of the new hospital. A person who is brought to the hospital in Plainsboro but lives far away, for example, many need to call a cab when released from the hospital.
