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Pedicab regulation law: a background
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Pedicab regulation, however, is neither a malevolent turn of events nor a recent one. Despite the fact that there has never been a pedicab-related fatality in their fourteen-year tenure in NYC, a bill regulating pedicab services has been in legal limbo since early 2007. Passed by the City Council, the original bill called for a ban on electrical-assist motors, required drivers to have liability insurance, capped the number of licenses at 325, and allowed police to restrict pedicab traffic in congested conditions where other vehicular traffic, such as taxis and personal cars, were otherwise allowed.
Mayor Bloomberg, in a surprising move to some, vetoed the bill in March 2007, predominately due to his belief that the “free market should decide” how many pedicabs ought to be allowed, as there are estimated to be over 1,000. The City Council was quick to override the veto. The New York Pedicab Owners Association sued over the licensing process, in a move that some say was an attempt to obtain all the licenses for fleet owners and leave few for independent operators of pedicabs, but they claim was an attempt to weed out deliberately irresponsible and negligent operators who bring down the industry's reputation.
The lawsuit was thrown out, and in the meantime the Department of Consumer Affairs was left with the task of creating a new system for issuing licenses. They established a 60-day window upon the signing of the bill in which all pedicab operators have the opportunity to apply for a license valid for the following 18 months. Pedicab companies can apply for a maximum of 30 licenses.
Though the licensing process is the only aspect of Local Law 19 to change, the existing tenents will still significantly impact the industry--and perhaps not entirely to its advantage.
Next: Pedicab regulation bill passes, but industry inequalities remain
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