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Starting at noon, pedicab owners began a protest down Broadway to voice their opposition to a new city law that started today. Pedicab owners sued the city yesterday in state Supreme Court, claiming the Department of Consumer Affairs distrusted licenses for pedicabs unlawfully. A law passed earlier this year, which pedicab drivers protested, limits the number of pedicab licenses to 325 and preference was supposed to be given to existing pedicab owners before any other operators.
With the new regulations, license applicants are not required to own pedicabs and they can apply for multiple licenses per cab. A lawyer representing pedicab owners says there were 500-600 pedicabs operating before the new law was passed. Pedicab owners participating in the lawsuit include corporate and individual owners.
The pedicab demonstration, started at Columbus Circle and is making its way down Broadway until it reaches City Hall for press conference at 2 p.m. The city's Law Department isn't enforcing the law, for now, due to the lawsuit.
Photo of a midtown pedicab by ~ Raymond on flickr
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man, these guys are a pack of wolves. Have you seen them descend upon the tourists as they leave the theaters? It's nuts, a group of 20+ pedi cabs will clog up multiple crosswalks barking touts and ringing their bells. I think limiting the pedi cabs is a great idea. Without regulation there would be swarms in the hundreds all over the place.
and if I wanted to distrust a license lawfully, how would I go about doing it?
I'm sorry, but pedi-cabs are kind of lame and dangerous. It's faster and safer to walk or take the subway.
at least these things don't burst into flame.
If I had a dollar for everytime a pedicab driver almost ran me over or disobeyed a traffic law, I'd be rich. I hate pedicabs.
ThisCharming:
I've seen them pulled up along the side of curbs, but never "clogging crosswalks".
Do you have any evidence to back your claim up?
They should be licensed, insured and accountable.
dangerous? any evidence to support your claim?
i guess i should share that pedicabs have a better safety record than any other vehicle I can think of.
Can you argue with zero fatalities and zero hospitalizations in a decade?
Automobiles (even trains) are capable of far more damage.
There certainly needs to be some regulation of the industry, perhaps so the "pack of wolves" image can change (the wolves would never make it through DCA). However, does anyone actually believe this law was written to make things safer, or to kill of a small growing industry as a favor to a much larger polluting one (taxi medallion owners?)
On a side note, the insurance requirements are great until you see how much! Thats a hell of a lot of coverage for a bicycle. Would you rather get hit by a car? or a pedicab? At least one councilman would agree that he'd rather be hit by a pedicab, given the choice.
my question is who is using them?? more often than not, they're empty, whereas it's 50/50 with taxis...
Every pedicab is one less polluting taxi on the street. I am grateful for each and every one of them.
No I do not have anything that would count as evidence. I bet if you are strolling through the Theater District right after the shows let out you will see what I'm talking about.
Yes yes, they are not cabs. We know. I just don't like how they do business. I appreciate alternative transportation, I just really despise touts especially when they roll up on you five deep with ten more coming half a block away. At least cabs don't honk at you and follow you for half a block trying to woo you into the car. I want a cab, I call a cab. Pedicabs are like mosquitos.
Today while I was walking home from work, I saw a pedicab riding the wrong way down Hudson street on the side of the street that does not have a bike lane. A couple of cabs had to swerve to miss him and he almost hit some pedestrians. I think he forgot that his pedicab is a little bit wider than a normal bike.