Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 815 - Division of Public Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 50 - Common Carriers
Subchapter 10 - Motor Carriers of Passengers
Part 2 - Rules Governing Transportation of Passengers via Taxicabs and Limited Public Motor Vehicles (815-RICR-50-10-2)
Section 815-RICR-50-10-2.1 - Definitions

Universal Citation: 815 RI Code of Rules 50 10 2.1

Current through September 18, 2024

A. Terms used herein shall be construed as follows unless another meaning is expressed or is clearly apparent from the language or content.

1. "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Division of Public Utilities & Carriers or his duly appointed designee.

2. "Business address" means the location where the certificate holder stores the taxicabs authorized under the certificate, at which all records concerning the taxicab business are kept and available for Division inspection and where the drivers report to obtain a vehicle for use as a cab.

3. "Business day" means each and every day on which the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers is open for business. Business day does not include any day that is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.

4. "Cab" means taxicab or limited public motor vehicle.

5. Call and Demand" means the solicitation or acceptance of a fare occurring only within the location specified in the certificate; provided, that the vehicle's driver may, if and when solicited on the public highway at any location at which he or she is discharging a passenger, which location is not shown in the certificate, provide transportation from the location only to a place named in the certificate. This definition shall not exclude a pre-arranged round trip requested by the passenger so long as all the following conditions are satisfied:
a. The round trip must begin in the certificate holder's authorized territory;

b. The round trip must be completed within a 24-hour period;

c. When a passenger requests a round trip, the driver shall make a notation on his log sheet next to the record of that initial trip, indicating the passenger's name and the time at which the driver is to return to retrieve the passenger for the pre-arranged return leg of the round trip;

d. The driver must give a passenger requesting a round trip a receipt, to be called a "round trip confirmation receipt", at the completion of the first leg of the round trip that clearly contains the following information:
(1) the date, time and location of initial drop off,

(2) the cab number,

(3) the passenger's name,

(4) the name and telephone number of the certificated cab company,

(5) the driver's name, and

(6) the time the cab is scheduled to return to complete the round trip service. The driver must retain a copy of this receipt (See Appendix C "Round Trip Confirmation Receipt" § 2.18 of this Part.);

e. The driver may only retrieve the passenger for such prearranged round trip at the location at which the passenger was originally discharged;

f. In the event that the original driver in such a prearranged round trip is unavailable to retrieve the passenger as arranged, the certificate holder may dispatch a different driver/cab, but the subsequent driver/cab must carry, attached to the driver log, a copy of the "round trip confirmation receipt" described in § 2.1(A)(5)(D) of this Partabove. Certificate holders are not mandated to provide round trip services to their customers/passengers. However, if a certificate holder and/or driver agrees to provide a round trip cab service, as evidenced by the issuance of a "round trip confirmation receipt," that certificate holder shall be required to complete the round trip service, unless unable to complete the service for good cause.

6. "Certificate" means a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued to a common carrier.

7. "Common Carriers" means any person who holds himself, herself, or itself out to the general public as engaging in the transportation by motor vehicle of passengers for compensation in a taxicab or in a limited public motor vehicle.

8. "Division" means the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers.

9. "Driver" means any person operating a cab for the purpose of transporting passengers for hire.

10. "Fleet Owner" means a certificate holder who owns and operates more than five taxicabs and/or limited public motor vehicles.

11. "Hackney Operator's License" means a special license, commonly referred to as a "Blue Card," issued by the Division, authorizing the holder thereof to operate a taxicab or limited public motor vehicle upon the highways of the State of Rhode Island and any subdivision thereof.

12. "Limited Public Motor Vehicle" means and includes every motor vehicle for hire, other than a jitney as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-13-1 or a taxicab as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-14-1, equipped with a taximeter used for transporting members of the general public for compensation only from a designated location on private property to such points as may be directed by the passenger.

13. "Motor Carriers Section" means the Motor Carriers Section, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers.

14. "Out of Service" means and includes a vehicle ordered by the Division and/or State Inspection Facility not to be used as a taxicab. Additionally, the term refers to a taxicab that the certificate holder has removed from service to the public.

15. "Paratransit Services" means flexible transportation services provided on a demand responsive and advance reservation basis, for any destination within the scope of a service program provided by a state, or municipal agency, the fee for which is determined pursuant to a contract between the service provider and the state or municipal agency. Paratransit includes single or group trips or trips made on a recurring basis such as for work, school, medical, nutrition, and sheltered workshops.

16. "Person" means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association or company and his, her or its lessee, trustee, receiver, assignee or personal representative, and, where the context requires, "driver," as herein defined.

17. "Personal use" means the use of a taxicab for any use not regulated pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws Title 39.

18. "Rate Card" means a card issued by the Division which is required to be posted in each vehicle that reflects authorized rates, vehicle information, authorized territory, the taximeter's serial number, certificate information and a telephone number for complaints.

19. "Suspension" means an order of the Division, after hearing, requiring that a taxicab or a number of taxicabs operated under a certificate, not be operated as taxicabs for a set period of time.

20. "Taxicab" means and includes every motor vehicle for hire, other than a jitney as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-13-1, equipped with a taximeter, used for transporting members of the general public for compensation to any place within this state as may be directed by a passenger on a call-and-demand basis.

21. "Taxicab Stand" means, for the purposes of these rules and regulations, any area designated by a sign posted by a local government or the owner of the property on which the sign is posted, as an area where taxicabs may wait for the purpose of accepting passengers.

22. "Taximeter" means any instrument or device by which the charge for transportation in any taxicab or limited public motor vehicle is mechanically calculated and indicated by means of figures, either for distances traveled or for waiting time, or for both.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Rhode Island may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.