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After many months of discussion, the City Council passed a bill to regulate the pedicab industry. Pedicab advocates, who agree that the industry should be regulated, are upset about the City Council's battery of regulations, such as a cap of 325 pedicabs and being banned from Midtown during the holidays. Additionally, $2 million insurance plans will be required, which is similar to what taxi cabs have, and pedicabs with electric motors would be banned. Read the list of regulations at On NY Turf.
A former pedicab owner, George Bliss, told the Daily News, "We don't understand why our vehicles, which produce zero pollution, are being singled out for these extreme police tactics." Transportation Alternatives called the City Council's regulations "anti-environment, anti-small business and completely inconsistent with the mayor's long-term sustainability initiative." And NY1 got a great snark from someone: "[The City Council] should regulate joggers too. After all, anybody who gets exercise should be regulated. It doesn’t make any sense for them to be driving around with their feet."
Even some other City Council members thought the regulations went too far, but City Councilman Leroy Comrie dismissed the questions, saying,When you craft an agreement where everyone is a little unhappy, then you know you've done a good job." amNew York reports that Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill. Pedicab licenses will be distributed by lottery.
Photograph of a pedicab driver in Midtown yesterday by Kathy Willens/AP
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Are you telling me these pedicab menaces were not insured?!?!?! I should've sued the crap outta them!!
why do we have a city council? Can they be anymore of a joke? Its hard finding one member who is not a buffoon. I'm so glad they earn such big salaries to debate banning words and regulating pedicabs... real pressing issues.
The fact of the matter is that these VEHICLES should be regulated. I used to live at 49th and 8th and these things were a continual nuisance. They are constantly being driven against traffic causing both car and pedestrian obstructions. I think anything that is driven on the road and occupies more than the width of an average pedestrian should have to conform to motor vehicle regulations. In addition they should NOT be allowed to park on the sidewalk as they take up the entire width of the pavement- again impeding pedestrian traffic. This legislation was both needed and welcome!
The fact of the matter is that these VEHICLES should be regulated. I used to live at 49th and 8th and these things were a continual nuisance. They are constantly being driven against traffic causing both car and pedestrian obstructions. I think anything that is driven on the road and occupies more than the width of an average pedestrian should have to conform to motor vehicle regulations. In addition they should NOT be allowed to park on the sidewalk as they take up the entire width of the pavement- again impeding pedestrian traffic. This legislation was both needed and welcome!Mid-towners REJOICE!!!
what you are complaining about are already on the books as traffic violations, this bill adds nothing to that.
Few of the pedicab owners are against regulations that include insurance, inspection, and adherence to existing traffic laws.
But what is uncalled for is the ban on pedicabs in midtown during the holidays. Pedicabs hardly cause more congestion...cars and taxis do! While I'm sure anyone can anecdotally describe close calls with pedicabs, statistics are a better measure. How many accidents are caused by taxis every day?
We should be doing more to allow these quiet, non-polluting vehicles space on the road. Yes, they should obey traffic laws, so enforce that instead of banning them outright.
pedicab owners have no problem with more regulation. most of the problems they have with the bill stem from the ban in midtown. from the Times:
This really makes me roll my eyes... 345 for the entire city? Sounds like the Cabaret law.
Shouldn't we try to replace cabs and cars with human powered transport?
Honestly, having worked over by Rockefeller Center during the holidays, I can see why they chose to ban the pedicabs. They are out of control.
It's a given that the area is going to be mobbed with tourists. The pedicabs add to the mess by parking in swarms on the street and sidewalk, or pacing alongside pedestrians attempting to pick up a fare.
However, an outright ban is too much. They should do the same thing to the pedicabs as they do to the "real" cabs: set up pedicab lines. Line up the pedicabs and make them wait for fares originating from a particular zone.
Murray - you mean exactly like motor vehicles do?
So when is the city council gonna crack down on the partybikes? Filled with overweight and crazed midwest tourists, they are accidents waiting to happen!
But I do favor having some rickshaws powered by the homeless!
Party bikes were banned outright as part of this plan.
What better for the city than to kill off non-polluting vehicles by regulation. That's our beloved bureaucracy, our forward-thinking city council.
Leroy Comrie is an idiot. Sez he:
Typical idiot politician who doesn't know what he's talking about. Public Law 107-319 (formerly the HR 727 bill) covers that.
IANAL, but I think the city can be sued for trying to say NYS regulations overrule this Federal law, in direct contradition to that clause above.