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Massena to consider amending village taxi code to accommodate new cab

Posted 1/18/19

By ANDY GARDNER North Country Now MASSENA -- The village is considering an amendment to the taxi code that only allows 10 taxis to be licensed in the village at one time. The Village Board of …

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Massena to consider amending village taxi code to accommodate new cab

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER
North Country Now

MASSENA -- The village is considering an amendment to the taxi code that only allows 10 taxis to be licensed in the village at one time.

The Village Board of Trustees on Tuesday had the discussion after Ryan Frary from Frary Medical Transport told them he wants to add one taxi to his fleet for everyday transportation.

He said it would "compliment our business we already have on Maple Street."

Mayor Tim Currier said the board will have to set a public hearing and vote on a resolution to change the local law, and the board took no action so they can learn more. He later said the law does not include ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft.

"It's a separate issue, Uber's different," the mayor said.

Two cab company owners, Bruce Green from Green Cab Company and Steven Zakarauskas from Massena Transport, were at the meeting.

They both said the 10 cab limit isn't enough shortly after Trustee Francis Carvel questioned if 10 cabs are necessary in town.

"I'm wondering in a town this size how we run 10 cabs. Are there 10 cabs running all the time?" Carvel said.

"We use all our spots. And we could use more spots," Green said. "We do an average of 180 calls to 200 calls on a 12-hour shift."

He said their cab allotment isn't sufficient in the event of a breakdown, which he claimed can make wait times for a ride go from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

"There is more of a demand than 10 cabs, now there's another cab company coming into business," Green said.

Zakarauskas said he uses all of his allowed cabs, and declined to debate how he believes the law should work.

"This is not the place for public debate ... If you want to sit down and discuss it, I'd be happy to," he said.

He then criticized the board for not giving more sufficient notice of the discussion item.

"Personally I think we should have been notified about this beforehand," Zakarauskas said, adding that he heard about it via Facebook. "I drove from Maryland to be here on time for this...It's not cool ... I'm not happy about it. Very unprofessional."

Currier and Deputy Mayor Matt Lebire didn't appreciate the remarks.

"This is not a hearing, we're not trying to change the law," Currier said, later adding that sufficient notice would be given in the event of a hearing and vote by the board.

"The discussion item is a discussion for this group ... You're talking a good two-month process," Lebire said, who appeared to turn red. "It's not at all [a public hearing and vote], and I think you know that."