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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 375-09
August 13, 2009

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS FOR THE PEDICAB INDUSTRY

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

"The first of four bills before me, Introductory Number 1031-A, sponsored by Speaker Quinn and Council Members Garodnick, Jackson, Gennaro, Koppell, Lappin, Recchia, Stewart, Vallone, White, Gerson, Nelson, and Mitchell, establishes a comprehensive set of regulations for the pedicab industry.

"As with every other mode of transportation in our City, for pedicabs safety must come first - and that's why this bill is so critically important. In a little over three months, all pedicab businesses and drivers will need to be licensed, and the violations they may commit - from operating their vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, to entering pedestrian plazas, to failing to equip the pedicabs themselves with working seatbelts and brakes - will subject them to the suspension or revocation of their license.

"After the adoption of rules by September 22nd, the Department of Consumer Affairs will begin accepting applications for pedicab registration plates and business licenses, as well as for pedicab driver licenses. No business can hold more than thirty registration plates, but Consumer Affairs will license as many qualified businesses as the market will bear. Consumer Affairs staff will inspect each and every pedicab presented for a registration plate, making sure they're properly constructed and have necessary safety features like appropriate brakes, lights, and seatbelts. Consumer Affairs will accept applications for sixty days, or through November 20th, after which time pedicab businesses will no longer have an opportunity to obtain any additional registration plates. In eighteen months time, this provision will sunset and the Mayor and Council will have the opportunity to determine what, if any, limitations on the industry are necessary.

"Pedicabs are an important and environmentally friendly part of our City's streetscape, tourism industry, and transportation network. Working together with Speaker Quinn and other stakeholders, I am confident that we have crafted legislation that will protect the industry and promote its long-term success in our great City, while ensuring the safety of pedicab drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike.

"I would like to thank Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, and all their staff for their work on this bill. I would also like to thank Law Department Senior Counsel Andrea Fastenberg for her enormous contribution to this effort. Finally I would like to thank the Council for approving this legislation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Evelyn Erskine   (212) 788-2958




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