No public motor vehicle shall be operated from any taxicab stand on any public highway; nor shall the operator of it transport any passenger for hire unless the transportation is requested by the passenger at an office of the owner of the vehicle, either personally or by telephone and/or other electronic means. When solicited by a prospective customer, the certificate holder or its representative shall quote what the actual charge for the requested transportation service will be prior to picking up the passenger(s).

The division shall establish and set a minimum allowable charge for public motor vehicle services. The minimum allowable charge provisions of this section shall not apply to public motor vehicle service coordinated by, or paid for by, a state department, authority, or agency on behalf of clients of the state department, authority, or agency; provided, however, that the state department, authority, or agency requests the service no later than the day before the service is to be rendered. This exemption shall also apply in cases where the state has contracted with a private company to coordinate the scheduling and provision of such transportation services, provided the funding for such transportation services comes exclusively through a program funded by the federal government and/or the state of Rhode Island.