Pedicabs drivers in Downtown Austin say they are the target of a police crackdown.
KVUE reported a week and a half ago that the city is considering updating its ordinances when it comes to pedicabs. However, next weeks' meeting between pedicab operators and the Austin Police Department's Downtown Area Command has nothing to do with those future plans. It is a meeting to lay down the law, and some pedicab operators are not happy they will not have a say.
Luke Iseman has owned and operated Dirtnail Pedicabs for nearly two years. He says on August 21, an Austin police officer ticketed him for having his pedicab on the sidewalk at the southwest corner of 5th Street and Congress Avenue. It is an area Iseman says pedicabs are allowed to stage at under their contract.
"I've requested multiple times from APD clarification on how I'm allowed to legally do my job downtown, because I train other people to do this job," said Iseman. "If I can't understand it, you can bet they are not going to be able to."
Iseman claims 4th Street and Colorado Avenue and 6th Street and Brazos Avenue are other intersections where police are cracking down on pedicabs.
"There's not a crackdown per se," said Veneza Aguinaga, a Senior Police Officer with the Austin Police Department.
Police say since the pedicab industry has more than doubled over the last three years, they are merely enforcing the current contract between the city and pedicab operators. According to Officer Aguinaga, police say they've seen too many violations, such as "staging in areas where they are not permitted to stage, and then going as far as breaking some traffic laws, like running red lights (and) stop signs."
Philip Seidenberg has the unique perspective of driving a taxi cab and owning a pedicab service, so he's understands why pedicab operators are looking for more clarity from police when it comes to pedicab operations.
"They've been shooing us out of our areas and it has been affecting the incomes of all of my riders," said Seidenberg.
Other taxi cab drivers say the police crackdown on pedicabs is needed.
"I don't like the idea of outlawing, but they need some regulations, because there's too many of them and way too many of them," said Zack Syouri, who drives a taxicab.
There are now nearly 200 pedicabs in Austin. The meeting between pedicab operators and APD's Downtown Area Command is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the city is hoping to have its pedicab recommendations ready in about six months.
