Taxi Driver Online

Rickshaw will finally hit the streets



DERBY'S first licensed rickshaw will ride through the city's streets this week.

Lee Todd has been trying to get his business, East Midlands Rickshaws – formerly Ram Rickshaws – on to the city's streets since early last year.
It will give free trips to shoppers around the city centre but has been hit by snags, including problems getting a licence.

But now the 43-year-old is ready to roll out the first rickshaw on Friday after Derby City Council approved an order allowing it to be used in pedestrianised areas for 18 months.

It will offer trips between Westfield and the Cathedral Quarter and will eventually carry people from Derby Railway Station to the city centre.
Mr Todd, a former retail manager, said: "It's been a long wait but we will finally be able to bring environmentally-friendly transport to Derby.

"It will be a free and easy way of getting around the city and will be a great chance for people to see what it has to offer, particularly in the nice summer weather."

The pedal-powered rickshaw will use a figure-of-eight route around the city centre.

It will go from the Cathedral Quarter to Westfield via Sadler Gate, the Strand, St Peter's Street and East Street.

Mr Todd had wanted to get a hackney carriage licence so that people could hail it on the street.

But to quality for such a licence, the rickshaw would have had to be able to take a wheelchair on board, for which it does not have space.

It can only carry a wheelchair that has been collapsed, so he has been granted a private hire licence instead, meaning passengers will have to pick up tickets from the Tourist Information Centre at the Assembly Rooms or the concierge desk in Westfield.

They will then have to wait at a city centre stop for the rickshaw to pick them up.

There are plans for another five rickshaws in Derby and Mr Todd is hoping to expand his operation by moving into Mansfield, Loughborough and Leicester.

The service is paid for through advertising, with Mr Todd, of Long Eaton, selling space on the rickshaw for A4-sized colour adverts, from £15 a week .

However, Judi Bateman, vice chairman of the Derby Disability Forum, said the group "strongly opposed" the introduction of Derby's first rickshaw.

She said: "It will make the city centre a no-go area for many disabled people.

"We fought long and hard to keep cyclists out of pedestrianised areas and this is even worse.

"People won't feel safe, and if they don't they won't come into the city centre and shop."

But Mr Todd said: "It's not about racing down pedestrianised areas, it's about getting people from A to B in the safest way possible."

City centre manager Melanie Allen welcomed the rickshaw business.
She said: "It will be a great attraction for Derby."

Firms that want to advertise should call Derby 203063.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Please someone tell me Derby Council hasn't issued a PH license to these bikes?

Which part of the 1976 act doesn't apply to Derby?

"private hire vehicle" means a motor vehicle constructed or adapted to seat [fewer than nine passengers], other than a hackney carriage or public service vehicle [or a London cab] [or tramcar], which is provided for hire with the services of a driver for the purpose of carrying passengers;

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IDFIMH

A taxi driver in Dundee has asked that a smart car gets licensed as a 1 seat-er taxi .He has applied for an events licence for it.

"It will be a free and easy way of getting around the city

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

But not legal.

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IDFIMH

On a serious note.

I know many LOs have a look every now and again at TDO's forum.

Could one of them kindly ring up their Derby colleague(s) and point out to them they have no powers to license a pedal bike under the 1976 act.

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IDFIMH

The question is.... does he actually need to be licensed with it being free.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Yes.

But as he is gaining via advertising revenue, defo yes.

But the free bit is a red herring. Derby have issued him with a license which they have no powers to do. If they want him licensed it can only be under the 1847 act.

In other words hackney yes, PH no.

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IDFIMH

he's probably got a O licence then,?

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

No Derby have issued him with a PH license, says so on their committee papers.

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IDFIMH

maybe the licensing committee are more familiar with the vehicle than we are,. home-from-home

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I don't doubt for a second they are more familiar with these bikes, it's just a shame they are not that familiar with the law of the land.

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IDFIMH

maybe it doesn't translate so well

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Mansfield???? Mmmm we'll soon see to that.

I cannot see advertising being able to pay for the upkeep of the bike and being able to pay a wage, mind you he could put up a sign saying everyone must tip, min tip £2.00 for each person
There is no law against it