Pedicabs lined up outside City Hall on Wednesday

NEW YORK, NY August 16, 2007 —A law that would cap the number of pedicabs in the city at 325 takes effect next month, but drivers are still trying to convince the City Council to revisit the issue.WNYC's Richard Hake reports.

REPORTER: On the steps of City Hall, pedicab owners and drivers welcome long awaited regulation to their industry, but say it goes much too far. Last spring the City Council passed legislation that would limit their numbers by about half. Pedicab driver, Melissa Van Ludwig, says capping the number of the for-hire-tricycle-taxis at 325 from the estimated 600 isn't green, isn't business like and isn't fair.

VANLUDWIG: So we are here to say lift the cap, lift the cap. Mayor Bloomberg come for a ride in my pedicab and lift the cap with us together.

REPORTER: Mayor Bloomberg did veto the Council's legislation, but then that was overrode. Critics say the Council is succumbing to the influence of the Taxi lobby which has complained about pedicabs taking away fares. Driver Mega Martinez is concerned about bureaucratic red tape and who will get pedicab licenses.

MARTINEZ: Don't strangulate us at 325, cutting us in half. When this is done next month there will be less pedicabs, a lot pedicab drivers, a lot of New Yorkers out of business. Many of us are going to lose our jobs.

REPORTER: Other predicab regulations beside the cap include: insurance requirements, decreasing the width of the pedicab, prohibiting them from the bike lanes, city parks and crossing bridges and police limiting where they can go on a case by case basis. For WNYC, I'm Richard Hake.