The owner of a North Plainfield taxi company asked the City Council Tuesday to rethink a crack-down on out-of-town taxis here.
Plainfield has stringent rules for taxi owners and drivers, along with various fees to be paid. Members of a city taxi group complained that unlicensed drivers were poaching on their territory and in 2009 the council approved fines for outside taxis found to be operating in Plainfield. In August, fines for taxis without city licenses were increased, from $300 to $500 for a first offense, from $500 to $1,000 for a second offense and from $800 to $2,000 for third and subsequent offenses.
On Tuesday, the owner of Soria Taxi and his supporters said Plainfield police were forcing people to get out of the taxis. Fabian Soria said he started out in Plainfield but now can't get a license, a situation City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh corroborated, as the city is only permitted a certain number of licenses and they are all in use. In fact, he said, the city has exceeded the number.
Although Soria and his supporters felt their rights were being violated, Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill explained that the state delegates police powers to municipalities, which have the responsibility to regulate the taxi cab industry. She said the city-issued licenses are actually franchises and the city does not allow unlicensed taxis to pick up fares here.
"You can be dropped off, but not picked up," she said. "I encourage compliance with this."
An advocate for Soria said the company offers 24-hour service but some Plainfield cab companies close at midnight and open at 6 a.m. In addition, a passenger must pay $5 to take a Plainfield taxi to North Plainfield, but Soria only charges $4. He asked for the ordinance to be reconsidered.
Resident Tamar Pritchard said 20 years ago, Plainfield had very few taxis. With apparently a greater demand now, she suggested there might be "reciprocal agreements" with North Plainfield.
The increase in taxis paralleled an influx of Latinos in Plainfield and environs. Plaintalker wrote about the taxi expansion in 2008. Many are Latino-owned and serve a population that does not own cars. All regulations and fees are on the city web site in the Municipal Code.
--Bernice
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More government oversight just to make money and hurt people. Why just prevent taxi's from coming into town. Why not prevent ups and fedex so that and in town delivery company can only make deliveries. They should challenge the law it's not right. Why not tow companies? Free commerce
ReplyDeleteI don't know what this Soria dude is saying because I use to take his taxis and they his cars were always dirty and not maintained and everyone around me that would take them would complain about the same thing and about their reckless driving.
ReplyDeleteI work overnight shifts and currently using another taxi company that has 24 hour service so he is not the only one that offers that.