Once again, I walk daily through town and I see numerous cabs of all companies on my walks. Other than the fact that these cabs rarely stop for pedestrians, another issue is that I NEVER see passengers in these cars/vans. Why is that? Why in a town of one square mile do we have to be overwhelmed with all these vehicles who appear to be just driven around dangerously with no purpose? Are they a "cover" for some other kind of business? What's really going on here?

First of all it doesnt sound like these cab companies are meeting the requirements to have a cab service. Until they abide by all the laws they shouldnt be allowed to operate one cab.

I see cabs with people in them all of the time. I see people being picked up and dropped off by cabs at businesses on Rt 130 frequently. I don't know what the demand is or how many are needed; but I agree with the statement in the article, that if the owners are saying 20 cabs aren't enough then they would know. They would lose money if cabs were not busy carrying people.

If there are so many people in Hightstown in need of public transportation maybe the town should consider starting up a jitney. Whether you like them or not, the taxis are better than having that many more people driving around unlicensed, uninsured, usually drunk, leaving the scene of accidents all over town.

I absolutely agree Rebecca. If there's such a need for cabs to transport people to doctors offices, etc. why are those cabs always empty? Where legally will the cabs park? Where legally are the businesses operating from? Tighten up this situation, and then do something about the disgraceful building code violations you're ignoring all over town. Loosey, goosey, still. Backbones? Anyone???

Every business has it's regulations so why shouldn't a taxi have regulations too? A town can have only so many bars, cost of business is hard on most companies, so why such an uproar over taxis being held to a standard? And I agree that drivers should be able to speak English. I have tried to use a taxi in town and got told by dispatcher "Sorry don't understand" and hung up on me.

And, once again, for those of you not living in Hightstown neighborhoods where these cabs are housed, do not weigh in. The issue is not the people, it's businesses (lots of them) operating out of residential once single family homes where they don't belong.

How can the number of cabs needed be determined if we don't have an esitmated number of users? How do metropolitan areas handle ordinances? I feel the underlying motive behind this is racist. That being said... who is going to enforce? How will the "english-speaking / reading" ability be determined - this opens up a can of worms...

Racist??? To hold a company to a standard and ask them to be insured is racist? Having a company that won't service the whole community is racist. If any company in town said "sorry we don't serve Spanish speaking members of town", how long before they would be sued? This is about safety and quality of life for ALL people in town

It is good to hear that Robert Thibault would entertain an increase in the 20 cab limit "if and only if the demand is there." I'd welcome clarification from him or other council members as to what criteria or mechanism would be acceptable to establish that demand. After long discussion, the council is clearly comfortable with the number of 20 for now. I hope all of the council will keep open minds going forward should they have chosen too low a number.

Concern brings up issues that are potential sources of revenue for the Borough if it were not for the cost of enforcing or collecting revenue for services other than transportation of passengers but not sex workers. A license for delivery venicles of products and services might be another ordinance to be created. This would be the Pleasure Delivery Service License. Of course the cost of enforcement would far exceed the revenue received.
Our legislators in their infinite wisdom ignored that there is commerce between two communities such as Hightstown and East Windsor. With ten thousand Hispanics and many withouts cars, there is a need for transportation services for whatever purpose.
Hightstown has become the center for Hispanic services such as restaurants, bakeries and ethnic grocery stores. So East Windsor cabs bring people to Hightstown for these services. If they don't have a taxi license in Hightstown they cannot pick up the people they brought here unless they get a Hightstown taxi license. Limiting taxi license to twenty units for HIghtstown does not allow for this form of reciprocity.
Hightstown and East Windsor need to have similar ordinances and cross licensing. The cross licensing of East Windsor Taxi cabs would solve the cab availability. As to the delivery of services, it is obvious that a Sin Tax must be created. It all comes down to enforcement of this Sin Ordinance to collect the fees necessary to support the cost of enforcement.

I think any limit on the number of cabs and companies is a bad idea. The Borough is now regulating the supply side of the equation with absolutely no idea what the demand is. If the supply doesn't meet demand fares will increase. If people can't afford those fairs they will be forced to use unmarked unlicenced cabs.

So where will all these taxis park? Cause they're all over my street now

And that means that the town that allows it is breaking the law, no?

I applaud the Council for FINALLY taking the stance to take measures to control the overburdening taxi cab issue in our community. As a Borough we have the right to set policies to control the number of taxi companies and cabs in our town. This is our town and we DO NOT need parties from neighboring communities telling us how to run Hightstown business.

What I find interesting is that the people supporting the existence of taxi cabs running rampant through our town cannot come up with a concrete number of how many fares are in each taxi that passes in and out of the Borough 24 x 7. The reality is that the majority of these taxis have no passengers in them!!! So if they are empty exactly what are they transporting and why are they so adamant in their quest to stay in our community?

The other issue that I find disturbing is that many of the companies refuse to have bilingual employees. If you are doing business in our Borough you need to serve the entire community – not just the Spanish speaking residents.

Aplaudo el Consejo por finalmente tomar la postura y medidas para controlar la sobrecarga de taxis en nuestra comunidad. Como municipio tenemos el derecho a establecer pólizas para controlar el número de empresas de taxis y taxis en nuestro pueblo. Este es nuestro pueblo y no necesitamos partidos desde comunidades vecinas decirnos cómo ejecutar los negocios de Hightstown.

Lo que me parece interesante es que la gente que apoya la existencia de taxis corriendo rampante a través de nuestro pueblo no puede llegar a un número concreto de cuántas tarifas hay en cada taxi que pasa dentro y fuera del Borough 24 x 7. ¡La realidad es que la mayoría de las taxis no tienen ningún pasajero en ellas! ¿Si están vacías exactamente qué es lo están transportan y por qué están tan firmes en su búsqueda para permanecer en nuestra comunidad?

La otra cuestión que me parece preocupante es que muchas de las empresas se niegan a tener empleados bilingües. Si estás haciendo negocios en nuestro municipio necesita servir a toda la comunidad: no sólo a los residentes de habla español.

You're pushing for 20 taxis? One square mile? How many are there now? What is wrong with me that I think that number is absolutely ridiculous? The reports of what is going on around here are chilling. We are a recipe for disaster. Why are we even arguing this?

I make frequent use of the services rendered by Mega Taxi, Tu Amigo, Yellow Cab etc and for the most part have had only positive experiences. Their prices are more than fair and their drivers have always proven to be responsible. You can't fault all of the taxis for the mistakes made by one or 2 misguided individuals, Before they came in to being I would have to call hours in advance to the one or 2 taxis in the Hightstown/East Windsor area (sometimes would have to book in advance over night) and their prices were out of control. There are many reasons why individuals cannot drive or do not own cars and since there is no public transportation available for us the taxi services provide a needed service. It's not just the Latino community that needs the taxis.

I understand the need for taxis, But like everything else there needs to be some regulations they must follow, and if they can't adhere to them then they should not be in business. Now days most jobs won't hire you if you are not bilingual, or you get a higher pay rate for being bilingual. Everything we do today requires us to use more of our time then it did 10 years ago. Trying to get a customer sevice rep on the phone without going through the whole menu in English and Spanish is a waster of time, especially for working people that are making these calls on their breaks. In the grocery store you have the option to choose your language, or in a restaurant your order being incomplete or wrong because someone did/could not understand you. YES,everyone has the right to a fair earning, But we all should have to abide by the same rule...That being said I think taxi companies whatever their ethnicity, should have to follow all the same motor vehicle rules and regulations the rest of us have to follow.

Hightstown is absolutely overrun with taxis. I work in NYC and you see a lower concentration of cabs there than you do in our small town!

Every day taxis in our borough are breaking the speed limit, ignoring traffic signs, not stopping for pedestrians (pedestrians have the right of way in NJ!), and using cell phones while driving. They are threats to our safety. How many of you reading this have had near traffic accidents with cabs or had problems with them while you were walking in town? I'm losing count of all the times it's happened to me.

The taxis are quite often empty of passengers, which means they aren't taking in money. So how are these taxi companies making money while their drivers burn gasoline cruising all over town? The suspicions that these business are fronts for illegal activities are founded in this curious set of facts. Is it booze? Is it drugs? Is it prostitution? Something doesn't pass the common sense test.

The big picture result of this plague of cabs is a serious depreciation of everyone's property values. If I came to Hightstown considering buying a house and saw 10 random taxis drive by in the space of a few minutes (this is an easy feat to accomplish anywhere in the Borough), I would definitely reconsider buying here. This is a serious concern for homeowners in our community. Our council has the interests of our entire town in mind. Not just the interests of the people who own taxi companies. I applaud the proposed limit.

I am for the taxi cabs they help out folks around town but something has to be done with there excessive speeding,no turn on red means just that on the corner of 130 7-eleven yet they turn. They need to better understand traffic laws,and of course the language "Yo ablo poco ingles" when asked how about much for airport fare is a joke.

Please stick to the topic of the article or else we will have to close the comments.

Don't they have to keep records of their fares and doesn't someone check those to see if there is a legitmate need for all the taxis? I did hear from a few people that anyone can call the taxi/s and they will pick up liquor and deliver it to you and charge you. Does anyone know if that is true....and if so, is that LEGAL?

If you're parked in my residential neighborhood, where it's against code to do so, yes.

Here is a thought - how about requiring a lighted sign on the vehicle, or some other way to indicate if a cab is empty or not. I think it also makes sense to set a time period to create a more detailed survey/study of the volume of activity. Do we require logs? How does NYC / Philly regulate? Has ANYONE even looked into how other cities - large or small handle these concerns. I still feel the underlying tone of this discussion has racism @ it's core. IF we expect to require a business to require a certain language to be used - that turns into a much LARGER discussion. I thought this was a free country? I happen to agree that speaking ENGLISH should be discussed more - but this is not the forum.

Thank you, John Rebbeck!
It is time that more, if possible all the voices of civil discourse and original principles of American democracy push back this unfortunate but all too vocal bigotry from Hightstown. When the town was formed, the majority of those living in it were immingrants, not 'old residents'. Many of the Hispanics living here today are ethnic cousins of the Indians -- the real original inhabitants of these shores. The haters are trying to remake America in the likeness of iideologies totally alien to its original principles.

I am not aware that the question is about taxis not abiding by laws but how many of them there should be allowed. Have taxis turned Trenton into what it is now? Have you tried to get a cab in Trenton or simply assuming it is swarming with taxis=crime? The township should decide on regulating the taxis much better if the discussion isn't drowned in the din of aspersion on the immigrants. The issues are not related, and when commentator join them -- there is no other way to call them but biased. By all means, let's regulate taxis, but without venom or bigotry.

Not taxis= crime, but with 60 or so taxis running around in a small town looks more like a big city. The question is about abiding by the law, like how many there should be. All the people against the new rules turned it into a race issue. And yes I have been in Trenton and taken cabs.

As long as the issue is one of the number of taxis needed in Hightstown, and is resolved on the basiso facts, I would be the last one to object to anything; but unlike you, I have had the impression from the very first commenter that the race ussue was introduced by proponents of the new rules. Whoever it was, pox on them.

I totally agree this issue, some of it is a state mandate, should be based on whats best for the town and not on race either way. Not be done to "chase immigrants out of town" or do nothing because screams of racism. I personally think we need some over sight of taxi businesses for safety and quality of life reasons and there is no need for so many taxis around. Hope to see people feel this strongly and willing to get involved and get to meetings volunteer and stand up to improve this town for everyone. I never see many people at council meetings.

Let's all turn this into an issue of discrimination. Then Hightstown's officials, will, as has been done for 10 years, run away. Talk, talk, talk, argue, argue, racial blah blah blah. I work hard, I expect something for my money. I, as a taxpayer, pay the the people of this town to do a job. I do my job, and i do it well. I don't always agree with the rules, but that's the way it is. I NEVER claim discrimination, that's the easy way out. Do what's right, be strong, you all have a backbone. There's taxis all over this town, in more driveways than the one our young friend sees on Wykoff Road. C'mon Council--change starts with you.

I worked on the current version of the Taxi Ordinance. The requirement for communicating at a basic level in English is a direct quote of the federal requirement for commercial drivers in 49 CFR 391.11 as a basic qualifiction. I am very impressed that while the past six months passed and the ordinance was under review and discussed at several open Borough Council Meetings few people commented on the development or need for such action.

When it appears the Council will actually do something about the issue 50 people show up and some decry the action of the Council. The legal facts are that the state requires Hightstown to have a taxi ordinance and include specific requirements. Unlike past Council action on important issues, this time the Council is trying to get it right the first time without needing to change it within a month or less.

IF the operators of the business need more cabs why did they not attend an earlier meeting and state their case for 5 or 10 cabs each?

At the next Council meeting there will be the formal public comment on the ordinance. I strongly recommend that if this will impact your business or lifestyle you prepare and present your data or needs and request for change to the introduced ordinance.

Let us try working together as a community and resolve this issue before we attempt the hard ones like where the borough hall should or will be.

Thank you, GP Gibbons. The township is doing fine. My beef was with people who took the opportunity to bash the Hispanics who happen to be both owners and biggest users of these cabs. This issue is one of public safety and I hope the haters will stop muddyng the waters.

I live on a street where these blue and white cabs are parked here all the time. There is more then 20 of them believe me. That is why they all look alike. How many do you really count.

EWCtzn writes:
10:03 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
You should be ashamed of yourself, Jasha. This incessant race baiting is ridiculous. People like you are destrpoying this country. You don't hjave to be racist to want some taxi regulaltion!! Sheesh!

My answer: Thank God our country has an ETZwcn to save her from being destroyed by people like me over a taxi issue. And pray tell, what do you mean by "people like me"? Can we have a cab regulation without people hating every voice but their own?

I think it's important to consider that this issue is an economic one -- that the taxi companies who don't have licenses in Hightstown have a money-making incentive to try to eliminate the limit.

I was at the meeting because of the Volunteer Recognition.Of the dozen or so who spoke in favor of increasing the number of taxis, I think only one lived in Hightstown. All of the others lived in East Windsor. Why were so many residents of East Windsor concerned about increasing the number of Taxis in Hightstown?

Could it be that they were friends/relatives/neighbors of the East Windsor based taxi companies that haven't gotten in on the Hightstown market, but want to. No one asked the question at the meeting, but how will an increase in the number of taxis in Hightstown improve service in East Windsor?

Why is it that none of the taxi companies currently licensed in the borough were there to protest the limit? You'd think that they would be interested in expanding their businesses if they thought they could. Yet none were there.

Finally, I checked and the taxi ordinance was on the agenda of seven council meetings since January and it's been covered by the papers over the past few months. Why did the East Windsor taxi companies wait until the last minute to say "we're willing to work with the council." And if the taxi shortage is so bad, why did Unidad Latina en Acción NJ also wait until the last minute to protest the ordinance? Where have they been?

I've gotten a good chuckle at reading all of the comments. It's as if people think that opposing the taxis or wanting them to be regulated - oh the horror! - is some bizarre concept. Anyone of you ever been to Mexico? Get this, they regulate taxis in Mexico. No really. In Huatulco, Mexico, only certain taxi companies are licensed to pick up passengers at the airport. All taxis can drop off, but only certain ones are licensed to pick up. Also, if a taxi is outside of their designated jurisdiction, they have to stop at the local police station and let the police know that they are there and what they are doing. Not sure if it's a regulation or not, but all of the taxis down there also have a 2-color combination to make it easier to identify the taxi company - think Tu Amigo blue and white. Point is, every place and every business has regulations appropriate for that area. Hightstown is no different, nor should it be.

Hightstown Blues,

You do know that Hightstown is a borough within the township of East Windsor, right? The Hightstown taxis are basiclly a transit service from Hightstown, to the businesses in East WIndsor, and back again.I personally, do not know that a limit is needed but regardless of how the issue us handled it affects East Windsor residents just as much as it affects Hightstown residents.

EWCtzn, even if you're right about "Hightstown taxis are basiclly a transit service from Hightstown, to the businesses in East WIndsor", how does that make it an issue for East Windsor residents? A taxi licensed in Hightstown can only pick up passengers in Hightstown. If you believe that there are too many or too few taxis in East Windsor, that's an issue for the Township council, not Hightstown.

Working and living In town, not only do I get to see all of the taxis, I even get to see the illegal taxis that operate without licenses. That seems to be increasing without much concern. Does anyone ever talk about that? I know of a female driver who drives a caravan illegally as a taxi. Why don't we crack down on that?

Htown Blues,

If there are 100 taxis picking people up in Hightstown then there are 100 taxis dropping people off in Eadt Windsor. Again , I don't know that we need a limit, I just think its silly that people think that East Windsor residents shouldn't be concerned. Hightstown is inside East Windsor! It would be nice if the police would watch them more closely. Many of them drive wrecklessly. I'm cut off or blocked in by one almost every weekend.

Take it from someone who has spent years working with ti amigo, we are always busy but many of us i must admit are reckless drivers, there are many unlicensed taci drivers riding around taking away from even the money i could be making, it is unfair and i agree that the unlicensed taxi drivers should be forced to deal with the penalties of operatig a taxi illegali and some even smoke weed in their cars, it gives us a bad redputation but on a regular day might have 30 taxis working and believe me they are always busy but it still doesnt leave a taxi driver who meets all the requirments much room to make money its a real pain.

tu amigo employee... you knowing all of this makes me think you are the weed smoke and on top of that we know of a guy that operates a blue tu amigos taxi that sells marihuana so yeah its not about racial or lenguage issue is about safety on who are we trusting our lives too