Personal Injury Law

Comprehensive Set of Regulations For The Pedicab Industry Signed Into Law

Pedicabs, the three-wheel pedaled vehicles with a carriage in the back have gone unregulated for years in New York City. They are increasingly popular among tourists and New Yorkers ? in fact, our office has recently been contacted via the internet from Australia on behalf of a visitor who sustained injuries, including a broken collar bone, while a passenger in a pedicab that was struck by a motor vehicle. Up to the bill?s signing on August 12, 2009, it?s been a bit of a free-for-all. That?s changed now.

Under Local Law 53 of 2009, which amends Local Law 19 of 2007, pedicab businesses have 60 days to submit complete applications to DCA to obtain a Pedicab Business license and register their pedicabs. The 60-day application period will begin September 22 and end November 20. Pedicabs must meet insurance and safety equipment requirements and pass a DCA inspection.

Pedicabs will be required to have the following safety features to pass inspection:
? The Pedicab Identification Number (PID) as listed on the Roster of Pedicabs included with the license application;
? Three (3) or more wheels;
? A unibody frame for the entire vehicle and a maximum width of 55 inches and a maximum length of 10 feet;
? Seating for no more than three passengers and seat belts for all passengers;
? Hydraulic, mechanical disc or drum brakes that are unaffected by wet conditions and a secondary or emergency brake system;
? Battery-operated headlights which project a beam of light for a distance of 300
? Battery-operated taillights visible from 500 feet;
? Turn lights;
? An audible signaling device;
? Reflectors on the spokes of the wheels.

Other requirements a pedicab will need to pass inspection:
? A sign posted inside the cab, easily viewed by passengers, indicating the business name and telephone number, a place for the DCA registration plate number, and ?Dial 311 for complaints.? All text must be printed in at least 28 point type;
? A rate sign, conspicuously posted on both sides of the pedicab exterior. All text must be printed in at least 28 point type and must include the basis for calculating rates;
? If rates are based on periodic use, you must affix a calibrated timer, approved by DCA, in clear view of passengers;
? Advertisements must be placed on a different panel from the panel that displays the rates or the method of calculating the rates. Advertisements must be nonreflectorized, non-illuminated, and non-animated and must not extend beyond the ody of the panel to which they are affixed

Pedicab driver license application requirements:
? A photo ID (driver?s license, passport, alien card/green card, or City, State, or Federal employee ID card;
? Child Support Certification form;
? Current driver?s license issued by New York State or another state (if out-of-state, include a Certified Abstract of your driving record)</
? A license fee of $35 for one year. License fees must be paid when the license application is submitted. Fees must be paid by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card), money order, or check. Money orders and hecks must be made payable to NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in a press release, stated: “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.”

The lawyers at Levine & Slavit have decades of experience handling personal injury claims including those involving auto accidents. For over 50 years spanning 3 generations, we have obtained results for satisfied clients. We have offices in Manhattan and Long Island, handling cases in New York City, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and surrounding areas.

If you or someone close to you has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at Levine & Slavit for their help.

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Full post as published by Legal Blog on August 22, 2009 (boomark / email).