Arlington Debates On Removing Pedicabs Over Safety Concerns
With environmental concerns on nearly everyone’s mind, many are trying to find better solutions for getting around without the use of fossil fuel. Pedicabs are a feature of many big cities around the world and only rely on human power to get around. But the city of Arlington is due to determine whether or not pedicabs will remain on the city’s streets or disappear altogether.
CBS Local in Dallas reports that the meeting was scheduled earlier this month in which it would determine whether the shuttles that use only pedal power rather than gas can still be legally used on city streets. It doesn’t look good for them, however, as Mayor Jeff Williams is not accepting any applications for permits for operators of the vehicles.
Though the vehicles remain popular in Arlington’s famed entertainment district, city council members are expected to argue against pedicabs citing concerns over safety, which include driving on sidewalks, overloading of pedicabs with too many passengers at the same time, operating the vehicles in restricted areas, and incidents of bad behavior.
Mayor Williams said that the city tried the program but that it didn’t work out. Members of the community who appreciate the pedicabs say that the argument doesn’t hold up when other forms of transportation that are used similarly, such as scooters, are just as much, if not more of a danger than the pedicabs.
