Town considers ending permit law for cab companies

A drop in the number of taxi businesses serving the town and decreased traffic to and from Hudson Valley Mall have led Ulster officials to consider rescinding a local law governing permits for cab companies.

Ulster Police Chief Kyle Berardi, who recommended the change, told the Town Board during its most recent meeting that the number of taxi companies serving the town has dropped from 12 to four in the 23 years since the local law was adopted.

“As the years have passed, Uber and additional public transportation has come about,” Berardi said. “With that in mind, I’m requesting the board repeal the current law, as it doesn’t really fit the need ... right now.”

Councilman John Morrow said the loss of stores at the mall, on Ulster Avenue, has been significant enough to reduce the need for taxi service.

“We don’t have a mall like we had before, which created a lot of taxi traffic from the city of Kingston to the town of Ulster,” he said. “Things have changed now, and I don’t think it’s needed as much.”

Cab service owners pay the town $400 per year for an operating permit, and drivers pay $75 per year for a license.

Under current town regulations, cab service owners are prohibited from allowing drivers to operate a vehicle for more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period, must keep the insides of cabs sanitary, must keep the vehicles in good mechanical condition, and must have the vehicles clearly marked as taxis.

Ulster Supervisor James Quigley said there haven’t been complaints about taxi services in the past 11 years.

“None of the issues that caused the implementation of this law have come to my attention ... and yet we have a number of restrictions on drivers and companies conducting business in the town of Ulster,” he said.

A resolution to waive the current regulations could be voted on at the Town Board’s April 15 meeting.

Quigley said he supports repealing the current rules “with the understanding that if the facts and circumstances in the community change, and the complaints about unsafe equipment, poor driving, rip-offs on fares resume ... the Town Board [will] be prepared to reimplement regulations on the taxi business.”