Nearly 80 Unlicensed Pedicabs Seized By NYPD In Flatiron, Midtown

CHELSEA, NY - Nearly 80 unlicensed pedicabs were seized by the NYPD across Manhattan, including in the Flatiron District, on Wednesday, authorities said.

The 77 pedicab seizures include over 100 summonses issued for drivers near Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Times Square and the Empire State Building, police sources told Patch. One moped and two speakers were also seized as a part of the crackdown.

An NYPD spokesperson didn't immediately return a request for comment regarding the details of the crackdown.

“Pedicabs can be fun but they need to follow the rules,” New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who represents the Flatiron District, Times Square, the Theater District and the Garment District, said in a statement. “They’ve been out of control recently and I’m happy to see that our calls for enforcement are beginning to see some results.”

News of the sting operation comes after Bottcher says his office has received a deluge of pedicab complaints regarding their noise and pricing in recent months.

In a letter addressed to the heads of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the NYPD and the Department of Environmental Protection last month, Bottcher alleged the bike-cabs blast music so loud that it ruins Broadway shows and exceeds city volume limits. Some drivers are also blatantly ripping their riders, with one charging over $25 per minute for a ride, the council member wrote.

One “alarming” example involved a couple being charged a fee of over $500 for a 20-minute ride, Bottcher said.

"The impact of pedicabs, particularly in relation to Broadway theaters, residential neighborhoods, and tourist experiences, has prompted an immediate call for action to improve the oversight and regulation of these vehicles," Bottcher wrote.

Pedicabs are required by law to display pricing structure of the ride on the exterior of the pedicab — much like a yellow NYC taxi — and drivers are supposed to give potential passengers an information card with that info before they enter the cab.

Fees outside of what are listed are technically illegal, but for years, stories have circulated of pedicab riders getting gouged after relatively short rides, infuriating riders and honest pedicab drivers alike.