Village to crack down on illegal taxis

A problem dating back to 2007 has again become an item of focus for the Village of Monroe: Illegal taxi cabs. Illegal cabs are exactly what you think they are: Drivers operating without proper insurance, licenses, and/or permission to even do so. During the November 21 Monroe Village Board meeting, the mayor and trustees held a public hearing concerning an amendment to the local law, which has been on the books for almost five years, according to the mayor.

The proposed amendment would add specific insurance requirements to the already existing local laws covering all taxis operating within the village of Monroe. In a statement about the issue, Mayor Neil Dwyer told The Photo News, “The village of Monroe is committed to the legitimate businesses that are operating a lawful car for hire, and for the safety of their passengers in the village of Monroe. We are enforcing the NYS and the village of Monroe taxi laws, that proactively address the unlicensed operators of vehicles for hire, which among the list of requirements, must have the proper insurance, safety components, vehicle maintenance records and licensed operators. Should someone suspect an unlicensed business, please contact the Village of Monroe Police Dept. Please visit our website at villageofmonroe.org to read the law and the compliance requirements.”

During public comment for the proposed amendment, local taxi company owner, Alexis Gomez, came to speak to the board. Gomez stated that the illegal cabs are able to pick up and charge riders less than what a licensed car company like hers would charge. This results in complaints from her customers that she is overcharging them, and has resulted in a loss of business. She requested more patrol by the village police and checkpoints to help crackdown on the illegal cabs, as well as steeper fines for their illegal operations.

She also added that these cabs should, if they’re going to continue operating, have minimum levels of insurance and livery license plates. The village board stated that this new amendment would do just that. Gomez added that the illegal cabs are often not insured and are dangerous to ride in since they don’t have to comply with village and state regulations. The board and mayor agreed. What you “save” by riding in an illegal taxi may be made up in legal fees, insurance costs, and other expenses, should there be an accident or other kind of incident while riding in them. Written comments from the public are welcome until the upcoming village board meeting on December 5.

Other business

The long overdue dredging of the Monroe Ponds has some movement. First raised as a concern by the citizen group United Monroe eight years ago, the low depths of both ponds within the village causes dangerous blue-green algae to grow and spread. This is a problem that has only gotten worse in the ensuing years due to climate change, which fuels the growth of the algae.

Blue-green algae is dangerous to both people and their pets, especially the numerous dogs often seen walking around the ponds with their owners. Dredging the ponds will make them both deeper and help prevent the algae from blooming as it has.

The most recent delay in the dredging, according to the mayor, was caused after the firm that was hired to do the dredging opted to not follow through on their plans to do so. This has forced the village to go back to the second lowest bid received for the project. The dredging is not cheap or easy to do, with this second lowest bid potentially costing the village $700,000 more.

Mayor Dwyer is now looking at alternative ways to do the project with the second lowest bidder to control those costs. There is no contract currently in place for the dredging, leading to the possibility that the village will have to again put the project out for bids. In September of, State Senator James Skoufis helped the village secure a grant for $565,000 to help cover the cost of the dredging. The mayor is attempting to retrieve the bid bond from the first contractor for failing not to sign a contract and complete the work. He added that this would be the first serious maintenance project for the ponds in over a hundred years.