Taxicab company asking town to revise 24-hour ordinance

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February 10, 2012

Sports Editor Calvin Adkins The Daily Southerner Fri Feb 10, 2012, 05:53 PM EST

TARBORO — The owners of the Checker Cab Co. Inc. are not abiding by the Town of Tarboro taxicab guidelines and he believes he is justified in not doing so.

During the town's last two monthly meetings, the council discussed Checker Cab Co.'s inability to provide 24 hour-a-day service as required by the town's ordinance.

During the December meeting, a council member said she had called for service before midnight and was unable to reach anyone. The issue prompted the council to invite owner Frank Jenkins to the town's January meeting.

When Jenkins was given an opportunity to express himself he said, "It's not enough business out there to stay open 24 hours a day. Since the first of the year, we we took in something like 200 calls. This is not enough to stay open all night. We can't stay open all night and pay the light bill, the telephone bill and have a person to stay there all night. We just can't do it. There's no use for me to sit up here and say we can do it when we just can't."

Councilman Taro Knight questioned the town law.

"Is that a state ordinance or town ordnance in terms of taxi cabs having to stay open 24 hours?" he asked. I can see the necessity of a taxicab staying open 24 hours in Charlotte and Raleigh. I just don't know where people in Tarboro are going at three or four o'clock in the morning."

Checker is the only taxi service in Tarboro, however, there are other transportation companies in town that Jenkins claims are providing the same type services but are not governed by parts of the town's ordinance including the 24-hour stipulation, obtaining a franchise license, special license tags for transportation vehicles, special insurance for transportation vehicle and a building other than a personal home for their business.

Public Work Director Troy Lewis, said those transportation companies are enterprises that receive funding from the Edgecombe County Department of Social Service to provide transportation for individuals to and from the Department of Social Service, the health department and similar entities. While Lewis was in a previous position with the town, he said the town received complaints that those transportation companies were operating as taxicabs.

"The police department cracked down on them several time," he said. "To our knowledge, they stop operating as a taxi cab."

The owner of Checker Cab Co. said they have lost customers to the transportation companies. He said adding a weakened Edgecombe County economy, those losses have left the taxicab business struggling to keep its doors opened.

"We used to have a lot of those accounts," said Jenkins' daughter, Mary Brown, during the January meeting. "They do what we do, but they don't have the expenses that we have.

"We have some of our old customers who might donate time as a dispatcher. They drive them right on our premises and drop them off. That's not a good feeling."

The council agreed to look into the matter, but as of Thursday Jenkins said they had heard nothing.

Town Manager Alan Thornton said the issue hit a snag because the town planner, Aris Shinas, who was assigned to look into the matter, is no longer employed.

"It is something that staff needs to follow-up on," Thornton said.

Checker Cab has been in business approximately 30 years. During the peak of its business, it had a fleet of 15 cars but today, they are only four. The business is located in Princeville, but they must adhere to the Town of Tarboro's ordinance to operate in the the town.

Jenkins said in addition to economic issues, he is concerned about the safety of his driver after midnight.

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