DC is going to start regulating Pedicabs. It sounds like it will involve mandatory seatbelt use and specify braking standards. Nothing about how to properly be tased (turn away from the pain, never towards it).
What is frustrating is that the DC Bicycle Advisory Committee is hearing about this the same way that everyone else is, despite having had a meeting just last week. This is exactly the kind of legislation they should be asked to advise on.
Gray says that this is "obviously an industry...that needs to be regulated as well," but it isn't actually that obvious. It may be obvious if you're a taxi driver who fears losing business to pedicabs, or you're a Mayor who received oodles of illegal cash from taxi drivers, but if you're concerned with safety and efficient movement, it isn't obvious. It may be true, but it isn't glaringly so.
Terry Bellamy, director of the District Department of Transportation, said pedicabs should followed [sic] the rules of the road, akin to motor vehicles and bicycles.
Wait. Should they follow the rules of the road, or should they drive like motor vehicles and bicycles? It can't be both.
This is exactly the kind of legislation they should be asked to advise on.
Is it? That may take away meeting time from squabbling over far less important items.
There is nothing stopping them from doing this now. They could hold their own public meeting on it, draft and endorse their own version of the legislation. If they did, the council and mayor might find out they exist...for better or for worse.
Posted by: FVK | July 21, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Is this representative of the normal amount of thought put into legislation? Seat belts are not useful in pedicabs. Why not mandate that Tourmobile use them?
My only beef with pedicabs is the pricing model. Am I right that by saying they are "free" that they are avoiding licensing? In reality, they operate on tips, which is basically a guessing game, and/or a mind game, and frankly not a fun way to pay. I'd love to see a standard pricing model so it's easy to predict what the fare will be. (Zones, anyone? ha ha) In any case, let's not have another taxicab commission, but for pedicabs, as the one we have is a disaster. Better to let the pedicabs choose their own pricing models, but let the city work out a deal to give them licenses to let them run a business fair and square.
Posted by: M.V. Jantzen | July 21, 2011 at 10:32 AM
M.V., that's correct. I don't like the pricing/avoiding licensing either. I don't want DC to set the pricing, but they probably do need to be licensed. And they probably need to prove that they have safe cabs. And I'd like to see them post their pricing, or agree to a price prior to the trip.
Posted by: washcycle | July 21, 2011 at 11:37 AM
Is this representative of the normal amount of thought put into legislation? Seat belts are not useful in pedicabs. Why not mandate that Tourmobile use them?
Simple: they want to make it a less attractive form of transportation. Maybe they could add a requirement to post graphic photos from accident scenes on the back of the driver's shirt.
Posted by: oboe | July 21, 2011 at 01:21 PM