Edgartown selectmen revoke taxi driver’s license over multiple violations.

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Edgartown selectmen voted unanimously to revoke a taxi driver's license after seven violations. — The Martha's Vineyard Times file photo

At their Monday meeting, the Edgartown board of selectmen voted unanimously to revoke the taxi-operator license of Your Taxi driver Slaven Dejanovic, following a hearing during which Edgartown Police Chief David Rossi listed Mr. Dejanovic’s violations from July 11 to Sept. 29. There were seven violations, including three for speeding, two motor vehicle crashes, a marked-lane violation, and an Oak Bluffs motor vehicle stop.

Chief Rossi said Mr. Dejanovic had been given warning the day he picked up his license after being issued a marked-lane violation from the Edgartown police department just the day before. The police had received a call about speeding and weaving in and out of lanes. He said Mr. Dejanovic was told then that future violations would result in the loss of his license.

“I suspended it,” Chief Rossi said. “It seems to me like he’s not getting it.”

The selectmen then heard from Mr. Dejanovic’s attorney, Robert Moriarty, who said, “He stands before you very contrite.” The attorney also cited the pressure taxi drivers are under to make their stops on time. He asked that the selectmen to suspend the license for six months.

The police chief can suspend a license for two weeks, but the decision to permanently revoke the license rests with the selectmen. Mr. Dejanovic’s two-week suspension began Oct. 7.

After listening to both the chief and Mr. Dejanovic’s attorney, selectman Michael Donaroma said he was “a second-chance kind of guy,” but in this case the selectmen quickly came to agreement on the suspension.

“I’m not in favor of that [giving a second chance] because of what his record is so far; it’s just waiting for something really bad to happen, and I’m not going to go in that direction,” selectman Margaret Serpa said.

Selectman Arthur Smadbeck weighed in, saying, “The responsibility we have is much more to the general public. I’m a second-chance kind of guy too, but our responsibility is to protect the public.”

“These are roads with bicyclists … you just can’t drive like that on Martha’s Vineyard,” he added.

Editor’s note: As of December 2016 Mr. Dejanovic reported that he still has a valid driver’s license and is also licensed to drive a taxi in Tisbury, but not Edgartown.