City Councilor Colin F. LePage.
Taxi drivers will have to have their licenses visible at all times and the responsibility for meter accuracy will fall to the city’s sealer of weights and measures, a Haverhill City Council subcommittee suggested last night.
The council’s Administration and Finance Committee, chaired by City Councilor Colin F. LePage, put finishes touches on an update of the city’s antique taxi ordinance after receiving feedback from Haverhill Police Chief Alan R. DeNaro.
“One of the changes the police wanted was the driver’s license needs to be visible to the passengers and not on his person,” said Councilor William J. Macek. Councilors originally proposed drivers be issued police-issued identification cards.
The existing ordinance also requires the mayor to inspect taxi fare meters, but the subcommittee last month thought that was a better job for the police department. DeNaro rejected that idea and suggested the task is best performed by city Sealer of Weights and Measures Wallace Rose. The sealer’s job currently includes testing products that must be weighed or measured before sales to consumers, such as gasoline.
There are currently about 30 taxi licenses in the city with eight in use, Haverhill City Clerk Linda L. Koutoulas said last month. Macek previously suggested changes to outdated gender language, suggesting removal of male-only pronouns.
How about safety and cleanliness ? Some cities have rules on keeping the cabs clean.
What about Uber? Are there rules for them?