N.Y. Might Lay Down the Law on Bike Taxis

As a responsible member of Manhattan’s burgeoning pedicab industry, Rick Busser says he is careful to never run a red light or dart in front of a speeding taxi.

The same can’t be said for every pedicab driver, he added, as he parked in front of Rockefeller Center.

“There are a lot of guys out here who are rogue Wild West types,” said Busser, 26, an aspiring actor who has been pedaling for a year.

In a city renowned for its public transportation systems, pedicabs -- oversized tricycles with passenger seats mounted over the rear wheels -- have become less of a novelty these days. And, some would argue, a bit of a menace.

The first pedicabs in the city appeared a decade ago. They cater primarily to tourists, and are especially popular after Broadway plays when empty taxis become scarce.

But about 300 to 400 of the three-wheelers now prowl Midtown, and have drawn the attention of the City Council, which will hold a hearing Tuesday to consider regulating the pedicab industry.

The city likes pedicabs, said Peter Pastor, legislative director for Councilman Alan Gerson. Among other things, they don’t draw howls from animal rights groups as do the more prevalent horse-drawn carriages.

But with no rules governing pedicab operation, there’s no way to ensure that drivers follow basic safety rules.

“Somebody’s going to get hurt one of these days,” Pastor said.

The proposed regulation would require drivers to be licensed and insured. They would also have to go through training and pass a test, and their vehicles would have to be inspected.

Many drivers and company owners support the idea of regulation.

“It’s too easy for a guy I fire for being a nitwit to go out and get his own bike,” said Arty Nichols, owner of Manhattan Pedicab Inc.

At least for now, the regulation stops short of two things that would make the industry blanch: limiting the number of pedicabs and capping their fares.

A rough rule of thumb is $1 per block. But while horse-drawn carriages and taxis are regulated and have posted fares, pedicabbers charge whatever they can negotiate.

“It’s an art, selling a pedicab ride,” said George Bliss, owner of Pedicabs of New York.

During peak season from April through December, a driver can earn $2,000 a week and as much as $800 on a Saturday, said Bryn Bryant, a 25-year-old yacht broker who pedals a couple of times a week.

A few drivers, however, gouge customers, he said. Tourists often don’t ask the price when they get on and are shocked when the ride ends a few blocks later.

“Some guys charge $45 for five blocks,” said Bryant, as he looked for passengers outside Radio City Music Hall.

Pedicab drivers also tangle occasionally with carriage drivers.

Sometimes pedicabbers park in front of the Plaza Hotel, hoping to snare would-be riders walking along Fifth Avenue before they get to the carriages waiting at Central Park. And sometimes, said 20-year carriage driver Colin McKeever, the pedicabbers lie to potential fares about carriage rides being shorter and costlier than they really are.

“They spread a lot of misinformation about our business,” McKeever said. “They’re completely lawless.”

Pedicabbers deny that, and say there’s enough business for everyone.

Like most of his brethren, pedicabbing is a second job for Jordan Kinzler, who teaches yoga.

But even with a fierce late-February wind whipping in his face, Kinzler said he’d rather pilot a pedicab than, say, wait tables.

“The people who do this love it,” Kinzler said. “It’s an adventure. You’re out on the streets of Manhattan every day.”