Milltown action may cut back on taxicabs in town
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

MILLTOWN - The number of cabs cruising the streets of the borough could decrease greatly in the coming year.

At its meeting Nov. 27, the Borough Council introduced an amendment to the existing taxi ordinance that will limit the number of licenses issued by the borough to three.

"It has become an administrative nightmare," Milltown Police Chief Raymond Geipel said.

There are five companies licensed to operate in the borough, with a combined 37 cabs among them. Police perform background checks on drivers and inspections on each taxi operating in the town. For a taxi to be licensed in Milltown, it must operate with a company that dispatches out of a Milltown office, Geipel said.

"I'd say 98 percent of the families in town own cars," Councilman Eric Steeber said.

There is not much of a need for taxis in Milltown because of the proximity of local businesses and the existing bus line, Steeber said.

J.C. Kessell, owner of Alpha Cab Co. in Edison, said the limitation will not hurt his business, since his cabs will still be permitted to pick up in Milltown if someone calls his company. He said Milltown does not have a high demand for cabs.

A taxi license is required for cabs to be permitted to cruise the town in search of fares, but not for cabs to pick up a customer who has called in to the company. This nuance in the regulations could mean there will still be more cabs on the streets than borough officials see fit.

If the ordinance is adopted, the three licenses will be issued at the beginning of January. They will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and each license will apply to only one taxi.