STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GILBERT "WHIP" L. WILSON
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman RUBEN J. RAMOS, JR.
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman JOHN J. BURZICHELLI
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Mainor, Assemblywoman Tucker, Assemblyman Greenwald, Assemblywomen Lampitt and Riley
SYNOPSIS
Provides for uniform basic structure of taxicab fares in certain municipalities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning taxicabs and supplementing article 1 of chapter 16 of title 48 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within six months after enactment of this act, each municipality with a population in excess of 10,000 according to the latest census, in which an autocab operates along any street in the municipality and transports passengers from a point within the municipality to a point within, or outside of, the State, and that is without a system of regulating the fares charged to passengers by meters installed in each taxicab, shall establish, by ordinance, a system for regulating the fares charged to such passengers. The system shall provide that fares be charged based upon meters installed in each taxicab and regulated by ordinance. The meters shall be so calibrated that there shall be an initial charge, and a subsequent charge or charges based upon the distance traveled by the autocab. A charge may also be added for waiting time and for incidental services, such as handling of luggage. The fares charged shall be just and reasonable, and uniform, except that there may be a reduction or discount in fares charged for senior citizens and disabled persons.
Nothing in this section shall preclude a municipality from continuing a system for regulating fares based upon a zone system if such a system is in place in the municipality immediately prior to the effective date of this act, or from establishing special flat rate fares for transportation to, or from, particular places, including, but not limited to, an airport, transportation terminal, or similar facility.
b. Each taxicab operating under a system of regulating autocabs adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall, within six months from the date of enactment of the municipal ordinance establishing the system for regulating the fares charged to such taxicab passengers, comply with the ordinance by the installation and operation of the required meters.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that, within six months after enactment of this act, each municipality with a population in excess of 10,000 in which a taxicab operates transporting passengers from a point within the municipality to a point inside or outside the State, and that is without a system of regulating the fares charged to passengers by meters installed in each taxicab, shall establish, by ordinance, a system for regulating the fares charged to such passengers. The fares shall be just and reasonable, as well as uniform, except that preferential fares may be charged to senior citizens and the disabled. Meters are required to be installed in each taxicab subject to this system which shall charge passengers an initial charge, and subsequent charges based upon distance traveled by the taxicab. Additional charges may also be made for waiting time and for incidental services, such as handling luggage.
Nothing in the bill, however, is to preclude a municipality from continuing a system permitting passengers to be charged a fare based upon a zone system if such a system is in place in the municipality immediately prior to the enactment of the legislation, or from establishing special flat rates for transportation to or from particular places, such as an airport, transportation terminal, or similar facility.
This bill would also provide that each taxicab operating under a system of regulating autocabs adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this bill shall, within six months from the date of enactment of the municipal ordinance establishing the system for regulating the fares charged to such taxicab passengers, comply with ordinance by the installation and operation of the required meters.
This bill is intended to address the absence in certain municipalities of a proper system for regulating taxicab fares.