Why you could soon catch a tuk-tuk in Coventryhttps://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/ ... i-15441861It comes as part of proposed changes to the city council's licensing lawsTuk-tuks and pedicabs could soon be making their way to the streets of Coventry as part of a shake up of the city's licensing laws.
Councillors are set to meet later this month to discuss a number of proposed changes, one of which being the introduction of pedal power to the city's streets.
Other ideas include looking at ways of making taxis more user-friendly, with non-cash payments just one of the ideas suggested.
It comes as Coventry City Council prepare for a tourism boom ahead of the city's year as UK City of Culture 2021.
Tuk-tuks and pedicabs, what could we see?At present, tuk-tuks and pedicabs, which run on small engines or pedal power, are not currently allowed under the city's licensing laws, but that could all change, with an increase in visitors expected in the coming years.
Councillors are being asked to give the go-ahead for the novelty vehicles to carry passengers within the Ring Road and around the railway station.
And those worried about rogue tuk-tuk drivers will be relieved to hear that all drivers would have to be trained for that particular vehicle, and would not be licensed to drive any other form of taxi.
They would also only be allowed to pick up pre-booked fares and could not be hailed on the streets.
Improving air qualityIn a move to boost the city's air quality, councillors will also be asked to approve consultation on a new way of granting licences.
At present, the policy is that cabs over 10 years old and private hire vehicles over six years will not be licensed, but that system may now change to one based on vehicle emissions, to make sure that only the cleanest cars are on the city’s streets.
It comes as the city is in the middle of a campaign to have zero emission taxis and private hire vehicle by 2024.
Other changes would see compulsory refresher training for all drivers around disability and child exploitation and new ways of testing drivers applying for a licence.
Cllr Jayne Innes, Cabinet Member for City Services, said: “We are very proud of our taxis in Coventry and we believe these changes will make them even better for their customers and for the city itself.
“We are determined to continue to improve the air quality in the city and the change to checking vehicles through emissions rather than age is an obvious way we can make a difference and create a cleaner, healthier city for us all.
“The changes are being brought in after consultation and include things that customers really want to see – such as contactless and card payment. That is something we all use now and take for granted and we need to bring the taxis up to date with that.
“The introduction of tuk-tuks and pedicabs is also something people have asked about and with all the thousands of visitors set to come to our city over the next three years and beyond, it will really make a difference.
“It will help to make us more tourist-friendly and give a real atmosphere to the city centre, helping people to easily travel between our many attractions and enjoy something a little more out of the ordinary.
“We are also looking at areas such as the tests drivers have to pass and how we license private hire operators and we believe these changes will bring our taxi and private hire fleets up to date and give city people the service they deserve.”
Councillors will discuss the changes at a meeting on November 27.
Also noticed this quirky little proposal in an alternative version of the article - would this be legal? And isn't Coventry one of those that's been constantly moaning about cross-border working? Maybe they just think it would be a better approach than the current scenario, but maybe Parliament will come up with an alternative in the meantime.
Coventry Telegraph wrote:
The council also seeks to keep up with advancement in app-based taxi services, with a council report stating the fleet needs to ‘remain competitive’.
The council report adds licenses could now be granted to operators based outside of Coventry ‘subject to specific requirements’. This will allow more app-based operators to exchange records and information while on the job in the city.
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