Two weekends ago we went for brunch at the Veselka outpost on First Street, Veselka Bowery, and were struck by how dead the place seemed compared to its northern sibling (seriously, it was a ghost town). Apparently we weren't the only ones concerned. As EVGrieve notes, this weekend the venerable East Village institution started offering free pedicab rides from the mothership all the way down Second Avenue to the newcomer. more ›

Have you seen this baseball bat-wielding Tajikistan-born pedicab driver? Police say that on on June 4th he helped beat up two other pedicab drivers during a vague dispute in Central Park. (Typical savage cyclists, right?) His name is Firdaus Nazarov, he's 23 years old, and he also "may be a kickboxer." He may seem all cuddly while smiling next to an adorable giant teddy bear, but according to court papers obtained by DNAinfo, his victim suffered a broken nose, a chipped tooth and a fractured eye socket that could leave him permanently blind in one eye. more ›

On Monday the City Council will debate new regulations that would require pedicab operators who charge a flat rate to disclose, in writing, how much they intend to charge for their service. One of the bill's main sponsors, Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan), says the legislation is motivated in part by horror stories of tourists getting Shanghaied by pedicab drivers who take them for a ride in more ways than one. more ›

As mentioned in our newsletter earlier this week, Monday was a big day for the pedicab industry in New York. That night an event was held aimed towards raising morale and funds for the legal battle to protect pedicabs and pedicab freedoms. Specifically, the drivers want to be allowed to cross the city's bridges, at least when their vehicles are empty. However, that same day Judge James Plotkin said that the city regulation banning pedicabs from being on a bridge extends to a driver "pedaling, pushing or coasting" an empty vehicle. more ›

As the NY Post continues their takedown of the pedicab industry today, we wonder who causes the most trouble on the city's streets. more ›

As pedicab operators make the final stride in becoming legit under the city's new regulations, the NY Post takes a look at their rate cards. Unlike other modes of transportation in this city, pedicabs don't have a fixed fare. Operators can change their prices from minute-to-minute as long as they provide rate cards for their customers. more ›

Following the pedicab crash off the Williamsburg Bridge earlier this year, the city decided to try to get those pedicab laws in order. With less than a month left to pass an inspection to obtain a license, there are reportedly only 25 of around 1,000 pedicab operators who have done so as of earlier this month. more ›

The Parks Department is about to impose heavy new regulations on the pedicab operators in Central Park, but the New York City Pedicab Owners Association is begging the city to backpedal. Under the new rules, pedicabs will be forbidden from areas where taxis and carriages make pick-ups; required to operate in the right lane of traffic, not the bike lane on the left; and, weirdly, prohibited from displaying advertisements at times when other motor vehicles are barred from the park. more ›

NBC New York has a video of a confrontation between Parks Department officers and a pedicab driver, adding, "There was no shortage of offensive language, so we turned off the audio for you. Merry Christmas!" Some commenters are suggesting conspiracy, saying, "It is the NYC carriage drivers that are harassing them and since the industry has tied with Christine Quinn, they are using the park dept to harass pedicab drivers," and "It was the horse carriage driver who started to harass them and took their pedicab." more ›