Council Begins Taxi Licensing Crackdown After Fatal Hit-And-Run In Morristown 

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Following the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian earlier this summer, as well as other regulatory infractions, the Morristown Council has decided to clarify and streamline sections of the current taxi licensing procedure.

In September, the town council voted 5-0, during a special meeting, to ban Enslin's LLC/G&S Car Service from operating, citing a significant list of breaches and a long "list of un-permitted drivers."

The probe began soon after Enslins LLC hired an unqualified driver, Jermaine Edwards, 51, who was then involved in a fatal accident. Edwards has since pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a deadly collision after hitting Morristown resident Francis Alvarado-Trejo, 40, with his vehicle on Aug. 12.

After that deadly crash, Town Clerk Margot Kaye acknowledged that things in the licensing process began to loosen up in 2016, prior to her appointment, when the council dropped taxi license costs.

"The whole process has just fallen apart over the years. I take responsibility and have now begun to develop processes and system improvements, which I have put on paper. We are fully engaged to get this turned around 180 percent for renewals next year," Kaye said.

That improvement process began last week when the town council unanimously voted to introduce an ordinance that will help clarify the licensing process in Morristown for taxi drivers.

Currently, Morristown has approximately eight active taxi licenses and six active limo licenses, but according to Kaye, those numbers could go up as the town has recently received inquiries about obtaining a license in town.

Morristown's new taxi code limits the number of taxicab permits that can be issued concurrently to 20.

"We've started using the new application that we put in place; the checklist has been completed to make the process easier; we provide links to people because now that things are available online, they don't have to go to the DMV anymore to get things done," Kaye said. "What was making it, I think, more complicated, we are taking steps to do away with that."

Councilman David Silva said that some members of the community have reached out to him concerned about the increase of illegal taxi cabs in Morristown.

"We have to start thinking about how we are going to spot those illegal taxis and how to enforce the codes," Silva said. According to the councilman, there have been sightings of illegal taxis outside the Domino’s Pizza on Speedwell Avenue.

One of the most significant advantages of the new taxi laws, according to Councilman Robert Iannaccone, is the fixed in-town cab fare rates for local travel.

"A lot of our seniors rely on this taxi service to get to and from, so the area where that fixed rate does apply, we did bring it out to Hanover Avenue for the area between Whippany Road and Speedwell Avenue and also for that area, Madison Avenue going out toward the physician offices in Morris Township all the way through Punch Bowl," Iannaccone said.

According to the newly introduced ordinance, the new taxi rates are as follows:

• From 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.: $8
• From 11:01 p.m. to 4:49 a.m.: $10
• For each additional passenger: $2

The new regulations do not apply to Uber and Lyft drivers, Mayor Tim Dougherty clarified.

To view the entire ordinance, click here.