General Practices and Definitions

Taxi Zero is a private business that provides a service of picking up passenger(s) at an agreed upon location and driving them to an agreed up location for an agreed upon price or rate.

The driver is either the owner or employee or licensed representative of Taxi Zero. The passenger is the person who physically gets into the taxi. The caller is the person who makes the contract with the owner or driver, who may or may not also be the passenger. The ride is the service purchased that consists of starting from home base, picking up and dropping off the passenger and returning to home base.

Each non-related person is considered a separate party or passenger.  Immediate family members traveling together represent one party or passenger. 

The phone conversation will consist of the pickup location, the drop off location, and the price. The purpose of the phone conversation is to establish a contract between the owner or driver and the passenger.

Each trip will be confirmed over the phone prior to dispatching a taxi. If the phone conversation ends before each of the three items is settled to the satisfaction of both parties, no contract exists or is implied between the two parties.

The pickup location and the drop-off location will preferably be addresses that can be located on the owner or driver’s GPS system. If not, this will also be agreed upon prior to dispatch.

Prices to known locations are published at txizero.com/rates for reference. Locations not on the rate chart will generally have prices that will be in accordance with the prices on the rate chart.

Prices are calculated by an hourly rate, not mileage. See txizero.com/rates for current hourly rate.

Once an agreed up pickup location, drop-off location, and price are agreed upon verbally over the phone, the agreement is considered a contract between the owner or driver and the passenger.

If changes need to be made after the initial trip begins, the driver must agree to the changes.

The price for each trip is calculated by the time it takes to go from home base, which is the center of Potsdam Village (21 Elm St) to the pickup location, to the drop off location, and returning to the center of Potsdam Village (home base) times the hourly rate.

Inside the Village of Potsdam, a flat rate is charged in accordance with the Potsdam Village Ordinance. This rate is approved by the Village Board in April of each year.

In general, each passenger is required to have either a personal cell phone or a credit/debit card so that the owner or driver has some assurance the passenger can be contacted or charged for a ride.

Each party is charged full price.  If more than one party is traveling for time-saving reasons (instead of making separate trips for each party), then each party will be charged full fare.

Third Party Arrangements

In cases where the caller is not the passenger, a credit/debit card may be required for prepayment or the personal phone number of the passenger. The owner or driver will determine whether or not prepayment will be required.

Round Trip

The price of a round-trip is usually the price of the trip times one-and-a-half plus a per-minute charge while at the destination(s).

The intention for the round trip must be stated at the time the initial trip is agreed up. If not, it is the prerogative of the owner or driver whether or not a round trip is possible.

Changes in Location or Contract

If a change in location or contract is discussed after the owner or driver is dispatched on a trip, the new location and price must be agreed upon by both the owner or driver and the passenger. A change in location represents a change in the original contract. The owner or driver may require that the original contract be honored instead of the changes in the contract.

A cancelation of the original contract may occur if the passenger and owner or driver do not reach an agreement on the changes in location or contract.

Pricing

The price of a trip is based on time, not mileage. See txizero.com/rates for current rates.  

The price is set by the pricing table and destinations not on the table will be consistent with similar time and distance traveled.

Within the Village of Potsdam, the village ordinance determines the rate.

Other factors in price include, but are not limited to, lost opportunity, changes, extra stops, extra people, waiting time, tolls and fees, use of the luggage trailer, weather, driving conditions, urgency, inexact or incorrect addresses either at the pickup location or drop-off location.

Prices generally include 3 minutes at the pickup location from time the passenger is notified of the arrival of the owner or driver until the passenger is in the taxi and ready to be transported.

The driver or owner will determine if they will wait at a stop, or return at a later time.

Wait charges will be added if the pickup time exceeds 3 minutes, and will include the initial 3 minutes due to lost opportunity charges.

Lost opportunity refers to a charge that the owner or driver could be making on a separate trip that is lost due to the execution of the current contract.

Variations in Price

Type of variation in price (according to price law).

1) Customer initiated negotiation. It is okay to entertain a customer-initiated variation in price. The driver/dispatcher can either agree or disagree to such a negotiation.

2) Class pricing. It is okay to give a class of people a different price. E.g. senior-citizens, veterans, etc., so long as this price variation is given to all in a class. Currently, Taxi Zero does not have any class pricing available.

3) Volume discount. Currently, Taxi Zero does not offer any volume discounts.

Payment and Non-payment

The time and method of payment will be determined by the owner or driver.

The time of payment may be taken over the phone from the caller, at the pickup location at the beginning of the trip, at the drop-off location, or a later time, at the discretion of the owner or driver.

Non-payment for services rendered after the driver is dispatched may result in the owner or driver taking legal action against the caller or passenger. Time taken to pursue non-payment will be added to the original contract at the hourly rate. Other charges and damages may also be added.

Pets and Service Animals

Pets in travel containers may be allowed or denied at the driver’s discretion.

Pets not in travel containers may be allowed or denied at the driver’s discretion.

Provisions in Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning service animals and support animals does not apply as Taxi Zero is a Sole Proprietorship with no employees.

Service Animals may be allowed or denied at the driver’s discretion.

Cancellation at No Charge

Either the driver or the customer may cancel the ride any time before the driver is dispatched from the driver’s existing location to head toward the customer’s location at no cost to the customer.

No-shows and Cancellations After Dispatch

Once the owner or driver has been dispatched toward the customer’s location, a no-show or cancellation will result in charge of a minimum of 50% of the price of the trip. If the pickup location is outside the Village of Potsdam, the no-show or cancellation may result in 100% of the price of the trip.

Denial of Service

The driver will not discriminate based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or other legal qualifications.

The driver may deny service based on perceived need of medical attention. The driver is not insured nor equipped for medical transport.

The driver may perceive the customer to be rude or quarrelsome or present a danger to the safety of the driver. Service may be denied at the driver’s discretion.

If a time or price cannot be agreed upon for a ride, such that no contract between the driver and customer exists, the driver is not obligated to provide service.

Lost and Found

It is the responsibility of the customer to check for all personal items before exiting the taxi.

Items left behind may be returned to the customer at full fare. Otherwise, the driver may drop off the items at the local police station.

Items may be mailed to the customer at the customer’s expense, including shipping, handling, and the driver’s time charges.

The driver is not obligated to return lost and found items.

Hours of Operation

The hours of operation will be posted at txizero.com/hours and may change at the discretion of the owner or driver due to personal obligations, illness, weather, driving conditions, vehicle conditions, or other reasons.
The best up-to-date hours-of-operation will usually be found by calling the taxi phone number and listening to the voice mail recording.