AM-NY - December 14, 2006
Mayor Bloomberg, to the delight of the horse-drawn carriage industry, is
proposing legislation to ban pedicabs (bicycle-led carriages) from city parks.
It's a matter of public safety, according to the mayor and City Council sponsor
Leroy Comrie.
Really? Let me get this straight -- cars, buses and horse-drawn carriages
would be allowed in Central Park but not pedicabs?
Would you really feel more secure riding in a 19th-century contraption that
is dragged by an old, underweight horse for nine hours a day than a sleeker,
updated model that is propelled by the legs and free will of a lithe 20- or
30-something?
The City Council should pass Intro. 75, sponsored by Councilman Alan Gerson,
which is truly about public safety. It regulates the pedicab industry to ensure
the safety of the public, without snuffing out the competition.
--Jill Weitz, Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
