Taxi Driver Online

Bury St Edmunds: Exploration into licensing rickshaws

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23265840.bu ... rickshaws/



Rickshaws could become the new taxi cab in Bury St Edmunds under new plans to expand the current voluntary service into a fare-paying opportunity for tourists.

The West Suffolk Council licensing and regulatory committee will be discussing the possibility of offering licences to rickshaw drivers at its next meeting on Monday, January 23.

In a report published on its website, the council details that it was approached last year by a provider of pedicabs who wished to transfer from running a voluntary service to a fare-driven model.

Co-founder of the Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw charity Libby Ranzetta, 55, said the organisation is looking to expand into a green taxi cab service.

This would not affect the charity's current offering of giving free rides for local people experiencing social isolation, complete with 'chatty chum' volunteers to accompany solo passengers.

"We're in the very early stages and would need the members of our community to agree before we proceed," said Ms Ranzetta.

"We're keen to go through the proper channels to ensure it is regulated."

Having recently expanded into a commercial delivery service named EcoCarriersBSE, the not-for-profit enterprise decided to also explore the opportunity for a cycle taxi service.

Ms Ranzetta added: "Bury St Edmunds rickshaw will stay the same and, if this new concept proves to be successful, we would like to introduce two or three pedicabs dependent on funding."

Mark Cordell, chief executive of the Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, believes the introduction of a rickshaw taxi service would be a "huge success" from a tourism perspective.

"We had a number of queries from tourists who wanted to hire one to see the sights last year," he said.

"The priority is around their current passengers experiencing social isolation, but this would be a great offer for tourists to expand their current provision of services."

As this idea would result in the business receiving payments, West Suffolk Council has advised that the company would need to be licensed.

However, the council's existing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire handbook only covers conditions for taxi drivers and operators and would have to be rewritten to extend to pedal-powered vehicles.

The licensing and regulatory committee is discussing this matter at its next meeting on Monday, January 23 ahead of a potential review of policy later in the year.

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IDFIMH

Doomed to failure.

I repeat, doomed to failure.

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IDFIMH

If it is operating a Commercial delivery service should it not already be licensed, if not the Council should close it down.

Not sure there are any council-issued licences required to operate a delivery service, Heathcote, as long as it's not people they're delivering

seconded !

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Firm proposes licencing rickshaws as taxi alternatives throughout Bury St Edmunds

Whilst some councillors were in favour, one said: "I don’t want to be defeatist, but it makes me really nervous."

A social enterprise hoping to licence rickshaws as taxi alternatives put their proposals to a West Suffolk Council meeting on Tuesday (January 24). EcoCarriers Bury St Edmunds’ representatives were met with mixed responses at the licensing and regulatory committee meeting, with some councillors praising the idea’s environmental benefit and others “terrified” by safety implications.

Libby Ranzetta, director at EcoCarriers, said: “We created the social enterprise to promote, facilitate and encourage people to use their bicycles in Bury and the surrounding areas rather than using their cars. We set out to show you can do all sorts of things with a bike. For a year, we’ve been using bikes and cargo bikes for deliveries for businesses in town.

“Since September, we’ve been cycling with children to school on the Bike Train. It seems a natural progression for us to get a couple of pedicabs and to charge as a cycle taxi service.

“We’re not for profit. We’re not interested in making money, and what we make is invested in meeting our social aims. Our business model is a community benefit society, so we’re owned by our members. We need to take our pedicab idea to our members and raise the finance.”

The organisation plans to use two rickshaws and operate in Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding villages. Ms Ranzetta is also the founder and chair of Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw, a separate organisation to help people experiencing social isolation and loneliness to get out and about.

West Suffolk Council’s existing hackney carriage and private hire handbook does not mention pedal-powered vehicles, so charged rickshaw services are not permitted. Councillors could review and change this. Cllr Beccy Hopfensperger said: “I thoroughly support this idea, and it ties in well with the council’s net zero policy.”

The council’s aim to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 is included in its environmental statement 2021–2022. Cllr Sara Mildmay-White said: “It terrifies me. I think it beggar’s belief. It’s 60 miles per hour on the roads out of villages.

“Are you seriously saying you can cycle two people in a cab like this on the A14 to Rougham or to the top of Rougham Hill, which gets caked in mud?

"Lady Miriam Hubbard who lived here and got around in her mobility scooter was run over twice and died the second time. I don’t want to be defeatist, but it makes me really nervous.”

Lady Miriam Hubbard, charity worker best known for her work with St Nicholas’ Hospice, died in 1996. Ms Ranzetta made the point that other towns in the UK have licensed rickshaws operating as taxis and that the enterprise is committed to operating at the highest standard – including by ensuring all operators have training, if that is deemed necessary.

Councillors suggested EcoCarriers draw up a business case and undertake a risk assessment to help them decide whether to alter their policies. Ms Ranzetta said after the meeting: “We realise that licensing pedicabs is still fairly uncommon and it’s a complex area.

“We were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss it with councillors, and they asked a lot of good questions. We will now work up our business case, address the concerns that were expressed last night, and work with licencing officers to see what can be done about amending the council’s taxi licencing to include pedicabs.

“West Suffolk Council has ambitious net zero targets. We firmly believe that active travel, including pedal-powered taxi journeys, should be part of the way to achieve them.”

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IDFIMH

Wonder how many stars rickshaws have regarding safety standards crash testing.

I wonder if it's possible to have a negative number of stars.

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IDFIMH