By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Pedicab owners in the city have until Friday to obtain a business license or face steep fines should they risk staying on the road.
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which is administering the licenses, said 119 companies had applied for licenses as of Tuesday, accounting for 649 pedicabs.
However, it's difficult to determine how many of the city's pedicabs could be operating illegally beyond Friday because owners may be stocking up on licenses ahead of an 18-month freeze. Each owner can register up to 30 cabs.
The Department of Consumer Affairs reported an acceleration of applicants this week, though it could not predict how many pedicabs would ultimately be licensed. Two weeks ago, 70 pedicabs had been registered, compared to more than 600 this week. The licensing office was bustling with activity on Wednesday.
The city regulated the booming industry after a string of injuries and accidents. Legislation had been in the works for more than two years, and was kick-started last June after an accident that injured a pedicab driver and its two passengers on the Williamsburg Bridge.
The Department of Consumer Affairs will not comment on the specific strategies they will use to enforce the new law, but they said they will be aggressive in their tactics. Fines will range from $200 and up for a first violation to upwards of $4,000 for a third. In some cases, authorities could immediately seize unlicensed pedicabs.
In order to be licensed, pedicab companies must pass an inspection, provide proof of insurance and make sure that all of their drivers have obtained a special driver's license from the city.
The business license costs $110, with each additional cab registration adding $60. Though no other business licenses will be issued until the spring of 2011, drivers may register for a license at any time at a cost of $35.
A lack of regulation has made it difficult to determine the exact number of pedicabs in Manhattan. The number is estimated at around 700 to over 1,000 depending on the source.
