Patchogue trustees propose repeal of taxi-cab chapter, citing ride-hailing shift

The Village Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Patchogue held a public hearing March 24 on a proposal to repeal chapter 390 of the village code, the section that regulates taxi‑cab operations.

Village staff explained that chapter 390 carries detailed rules — licensing, stickers, minimum fuel-economy requirements and similar provisions — that the clerk’s office reviewed for cost, benefit and enforcement burden. A staff presentation noted that many consumer protections for taxi service now fall under the Suffolk County Department of Labor and Consumer Licensing’s taxi bureau and that ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft operate outside the local taxi framework.

A staff member argued the local taxi-cab regulations are now largely inapplicable and burdensome to enforce. The transcript records: “The taxi cab chapter… has been surpassed by Lyft and Uber and other ride shares,” and that county or state agencies provide consumer protections for these services. The proposal would repeal chapter 390 and reserve that section for future use.

Trustees and other meeting participants discussed the practical decline in local taxi usage; one board member said there are now far fewer cabs at the train station than a decade earlier. The clerk’s office also noted prior local requirements (minimum fuel economy) that reflected earlier transportation patterns.

The hearing record shows the board discussed the matter at length and moved to close the hearing and advance the proposal. A copy of the proposed repeal is on file at the village clerk’s office.