A public hearing on an ordinance that tightens restrictions on taxi drivers picking up passengers within Plainsboro is scheduled for Wednesday, July 14.
The Plainsboro Township Committee introduced the ordinance at its meeting on June 9, after its first revision since 2001, said Plainsboro Lieutenant Troy Bell. The ordinance ensures “the cars are safe and not in violation” 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.
“We did add a smoke-free environment, so that means the drivers or passengers cannot be smoking in there,” Bell explained. The new requirements are now consistent with the state smoking law that went into effect a few years ago.
The township has also changed the identification system. “We used to issue stickers for the rear bumper, which was cumbersome because every year, they had to put on a new sticker,” said Bell. “Now, we put the expiration date into the computer system. If an officer runs the tags, it shows when the license expires.”
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,” said Bell. 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.
Bell said 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.
