Friday, July 22, 2011

Pedicab predicament

DCBAC is would like to here your comments and suggestions with regard to altercations between the District's Pedicab operators and the National Park Service Police (NPS) on or in the vicinity of the National Mall.  Also, DCBAC is interested in the public's thoughts on the proposed pedicabs operator regulations.

DCBAC plans to gather this information and will likely present it to local and federal authorities. DCBAC would especially like to hear comments from actual pedicab operators.  Comments can be left below or you can send an email to dcbac@dcbac.org.

As reported by various news outlets including Patrick Madden of WAMU radio and , the District's pedicab operators have been targeted by the NPS Park Police as part of its “education campaign” designed to remind pedicab operators of the laws they have to follow.  According to some Pedicab operators, however, the Park Police have been targeting them unfairly for tickets and arrest, in one case, being subdued by a Taser.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is drafting new regulations for pedicab operators.  The proposed rules would amend the DC Code, Title 18, “Vehicles and Traffic",  Chapter 12,  "Bicycles, Motorized Bicycles, and Miscellaneous Vehicles”, by adding a new section - 1213.  The full text of the proposed rules can be found on the Secretary of the District of Columbia website, the DC Municipal Regulations and Register

According to the Washington Post columnist , DDOT proposed new pedicab rules this past April (with an early draft in December of 2010), which included no riding on sidewalks, no riding on streets with speed limits of more than 30 mph, seat belts for passengers, but DDOT has not yet issued them.