New York’s pedicab operators are protesting a deal they argue unfairly targets their business in favor of the horse carriage industry, a move they say was done without their input or knowledge. This deal, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, is part of an effort to overhaul the horse carriage industry, which the mayor has long criticized as inhumane. The proposal aims to reduce the number of horse carriages in Central Park and eventually eliminate their presence on Manhattan streets, consolidating them within the park with a new, publicly funded stable.
However, as part of the compromise, pedicabs would be banned from operating south of 85th Street in Central Park, a move that pedicab operators like Robert Tipton, owner of Mr. Rickshaw, see as a direct concession to the carriage horse industry. This area represents 60% of the pedicab business, effectively granting carriage horses a monopoly over the park’s southern, more tourist-heavy end. The decision has sparked significant backlash from the pedicab community, many of whom are immigrants, who feel blindsided and marginalized by the city’s decision.
De Blasio defended the decision as a necessary adjustment for balance, claiming it to be a fair outcome. Yet, the pedicab industry was not involved in the negotiations, which were between the city and the Teamsters union local representing carriage horse drivers. Animal welfare activists have also criticized the deal, pointing out that it does not address their concerns about the horses’ well-being between shifts.
The compromise would reduce the horse carriage numbers from about 180 to 95 and relocate them to new stables in the park by October 2018. Meanwhile, licensed pedicab drivers, numbering around 350, face significant income losses due to the restriction. They argue that operating outside of the lucrative Central Park area subjects them to less ideal conditions, including navigating midtown traffic without access to bicycle lanes, which detracts from the tourist experience they can offer.
This contentious agreement now awaits approval by the City Council, with pedicab drivers vowing to fight the restrictions they see as unjust and detrimental to their livelihoods.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/deal-to-keep-horses-in-new-york-citys-central-park-would-banish-pedicabs