Politics & Government

Village Closes Taxi Hearing; Decision Expected This Month

Village Car Service looking to join All Island Taxi in RVC.

Rockville Centre Mayor Fran Murray and the village board of trustees continued their hearing on the Lynbrook-based Village Car Service Monday night in an attempt to gather further comments from the public on the matter.

Village Car Service went to the board for an appeal in May after Village Administrator Keith Spadaro rejected its initial application for a license, maintaining All-Island Taxi as the lone taxi service in the village.

Rockville Centre Village code provides that if an applicant wants to operate a taxi in Rockville Centre — for pick up and drop off solely within the village limits — they must apply to the village for a taxi license.

While the village asked residents for their input on the issue, only two residents stepped forward — one for the additional service and one against.

Milburn Street resident Arnold Fleischer said he had a bad personal experience with All-Island Taxi at the RVC Long Island Rail Road station when he was forced to wait for nearly a half hour after being told it would only be five minutes.

John Broder, a village residents of more than 35 years, countered Fleischer’s comments with some words of his own.

“More isn’t always necessarily better,” said Broder, adding that his family often uses All-Island and they have been reliable in the past. “... I think that what we have is terrific. I think they’re serving the community.”

Allen Stein, the attorney for Village Car Service, spoke again at Monday’s meeting, criticizing what he has described as an “archaic” village code.

“This whole point of being able to regulate who can be in business because of some laws that really should not be part of this whole way of continuing business here,” he said. “There are many other villages that have more than one cab company and they coexist.”

Stein also focused on what he thought was a lack in service from All Island Taxi, claiming that the competing company only uses 15 taxis despite the fact that the village has approved the use of 21.

“We are seeking actually to become part of that number,” Stein said, referring to the 21 taxi spots available.

All-Island Taxi Vice President Lawrence Blessinger Jr. defended his company, stating that All Island currently has “18 or 19” taxis in service within the village and that there is a “constant revolving door” of cars being replaced.

After hearing from the room, the board closed the hearing. Murray confirmed that a decision on the additional service would most likely be made in the next month.


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