By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — Pedicab owners filled the licensing office of the Department of Consumer Affairs Friday in order to beat the 5 p.m. deadline to apply for business licenses to stay on the road legally.
After a series of complaints, accidents, and injuries, Friday marked the culmination of the city's push to regulate the pedicab industry.
"Everybody used to like us. It used to be so much fun!," said Bernard Treanor, a self-declared pedicab veteran. "Now, it's just like all we do is run people over. But hopefully that's going to change now with the regulations."
In order to become licensed, pedicab owners had to submit a business application, provide proof of insurance, and pass every vehicle through an extensive safety inspection. Pedicab drivers also need to secure a special drivers license issued by the DCA.
Pedicab owners applying for licenses on Friday agreed that the regulation will have a positive impact, particularly in terms of safety.
"I think it's really important that the DCA is regulating safety because some people used to drive without seat belts and they took more than three passengers," said Andrey Zhilnikov, 24, who applied for a license on Friday.
"It's dangerous, especially on the street."
Applications will not be accepted for 18 months following today's deadline, which has prompted an influx of applications in the last week and a half, according to the DCA.
"We have really been out there hitting the streets trying to get the word out to all the thousand plus pedicabs that everybody sees out on the roads to let them know if you want to stay in business, you need to come into DCA and submit your application," DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz told DNAinfo.
"Obviously people have gotten that message because as of the end of [Thursday], we had over 844 pedicabs that had been applied for," Mintz said.
"These licenses are all geared toward one thing, which is to make sure that pedicabs are safe and accountable to the public."
