Residents packed village hall last Wednesday night for the public hearing held by the Village of Mineola on taxicab service in the village. The issue of taxis has been a controversial one in Mineola, mainly because of the distribution of licenses in the village. Currently, All Island Taxi has 35 licenses for cars to service the village; Young's Taxi has one and Long Island Checker Cab has one license.

Controversy over taxis mainly started when Long Island Checker Cab applied for additional licenses for service in the village and was denied by the village board, which, at the time, consisted of Mayor John P. Colbert and trustees Lou Santosus, Maryanne Warnecke and Elizabeth A.J. Conlon. Linda Fairgrieve, who is also a trustee, abstained from votes concerning Long Island Checker.

The reason cited was because the number of licenses outstanding (37) were sufficient to service the village. Now, the mayor and the village board are trying to find out from residents if 37 are indeed sufficient.

Current mayor Jack M. Martins made it clear that the purpose of last Wednesday's hearing was not to pit one company against the other but rather to hear from the residents as to whether they are satisfied with the current level of taxi service in the village or whether the village board needs to issue additional taxi licenses. The mayor also wants to consider the process by which the village issues licenses for taxis. Whether the village would be better off selling medallions for taxis to the cab companies instead of issuing one-year renewable licenses is something that will be considered.

The way Chapter 52 entitled "Taxicabs, Limousines and Private Livery Vehicles" of the village code is written, a taxicab picking up a passenger within the Village of Mineola requires a village issued license. The purpose of the law is so the village can maintain some control over the drivers who are transporting Mineola residents. When a company is granted a license, the village is able to authorize a background check of the driver as well as the taxi company. A license to operate a taxi in Mineola is valid for one year after which it can be renewed.

"The fact is that the regulation of taxi service is very essential for the health and safety of the community to make sure that when you get in a cab, this driver has been pre-approved by the village so that you can ride in confidence and know that this is not just someone on his own who may or may not be appropriate to chauffeur you," said Village Attorney John Spellman.

Most of the taxi use in the village comes from passengers at the Mineola train station as well as seniors who no longer drive and need to get around, perhaps for medical appointments.

Some of the seniors who spoke at the taxi hearing expressed their disappointment in the service of All Island Taxi, which, with its 35-1-1 advantage in taxicabs, is the primary company for a Mineola resident to call if transportation is needed.

One resident told a story of how she waited at a nursing home to be picked up. "I called All Island [and was told] it will be an hour and a half. I don't have a hour and a half. I have to get home. It's 10 minutes away," said one resident. "I think there should be two companies. Competition is good in America."

Some of the residents did not agree with the way the taxi licenses are currently distributed and suggested giving another company more licenses to stimulate competition and give residents a choice of which company they want to use. "What if we have bad service with one cab company? We're can we go? We can't go anywhere else. Not only do we need more cabs, but we also need to have a choice of whether we want cab company A, B, or C or as many as the board would recommend," a resident said.

Sal Cataldo, who said he doesn't use cabs, said he has received many complaints from members of the Mineola Golden Age Club. "The senior citizens deserve a little more courtesy. I can't understand how you can have 35 licenses [for one company] and then one and one. This is still America. To me, it doesn't reason out. I think something should be done. Where is the justice here?" he said.

Some of the seniors who spoke expressed a desire to see Long Island Checker Cab receive more licenses. "I don't know what the problem is of not having another company. Checker Cab, the couple of times they came to me, was very polite. They were there on time," said one resident

While there were some complaints launched against All Island, the company changed ownership only three months ago. The company is now owned by the Blessinger family who wants an opportunity to address any complaints.

Appearing before the board was All Island owner Maryanne Blessinger, who said she grew up in Mineola and would love to have some interaction with the seniors. "Unfortunately, we have walked into a situation that has existed now for many years. I don't believe it is a situation that will be resolved overnight but I would like to be involved in the best resolution for the community," she said. "I have made a huge financial investment to this community."

Blessinger said customer safety and satisfaction has always been their number one goal. "If there are issues that are existing, I would like to hear about them," she said, adding that there is a sticker in every one of their vehicles that has her number and her extension. "I have heard from two customers throughout the time since we have owned All Island."

In addition, residents who wish to make a complaint whether it is for response time or if a resident feels he or she is being overcharged or if a resident notices anyone operating in the village who is not licensed can file a complaint with the Mineola Village Clerk by calling 746-1750 or sending a letter to the Mineola Village Clerk, Mineola Village Hall, 155 Washington Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501.

There was no decision made by the board regarding taxi service in the village. Mayor Martins said the board would take into consideration what was said at the hearing and review the issue possibly sometime next month.

Mayor Martins will keep the record of the hearing open for another 30 days for anyone who wishes to add any evidence or testimony to the record.