Agenda Text
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Green Cab requesting approval of an ordinance to require that taxicabs accept credit cards for fare payment, that taxicabs be also licensed as livery vehicles, and that street hails and taxi stands be permitted only for taxis.
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Official Text
Dear Honorable Board of Alderman:
The taxi industry in Somerville would like to request the following ordinances be added to the Taxi Ordinances. We seek to adopt the City of Boston’s ordinance Rule 403, Section3, III, c, x. This ordinance requires that all taxicabs be equipped with electronic credit card processing equipment. In addition we would like to adopt the City of Cambridge Article XII, Rule #1 that designates that each Cambridge taxicab is also automatically licensed as a Cambridge Livery vehicle authorized to pick up passengers in Cambridge pursuant to a telephone or radio call or by pre-arrangement. This definition is also extended in Cambridge ordinances 5.20.450.
Although we already accept credit cards and have been since 2012, we feel it is important to mandate that each taxicab offers this form of payment to customers. Without this mandate it makes it impossible to enforce to licensed taxi drivers. We feel this would create an environment of compliance that would ultimately benefit the customer. The second ordinance would allow us to diversify and obtain much needed contracts to survive.
Here is a suggestion of how these ordinances would reach based on the adoption of the above ordinances from Boston and Cambridge:
1) All Somerville taxicabs shall be equipped with electronic credit card processing capability. Such equipment shall allow the passenger to swipe the card in the rear compartment of the taxicab without handing the card to the driver. Such equipment shall list fare, tolls, fees and tips separately for processing purposes. Such equipment shall have the ability to electronically authorize the transaction in a timely manner. Such equipment shall also provide a printed receipt. If the taxi does not have a functioning credit card reader, it shall be deemed unfit for service as a taxi. In addition Somerville licensed taxi drivers must accept credit cards as a form payment from passengers.
2) Each Somerville licensed taxicab is automatically licensed as a Somerville livery vehicle authorized to pick up passengers in Somerville pursuant to a telephone, digital request by app or web, radio call or by pre-arrangement. A licensed hackney driver is an authorized livery vehicle driver while driving a Somerville medallion vehicle. In addition no licensed livery vehicle which is not also a licensed hackney carriage may pick up a person in response to a street hail, or may stand in a public cab stand, or in a special cab stand authorized for Somerville hackney carriage only.
Attached are the Boston and Cambridge ordinances that we wish to adopt. Thank you in advance for your attention in this matter.
Respectfully,
Cheryl Horan
Vice President/Green Cab Co, Inc.
NOTE: See #201846 for the approved text of the Ordinances.