The Scotsman newspaper has reported that rickshaw drivers are planning legal action in a bid to overturn a council ban which is keeping the transport off the streets of Glasgow.
Safety Concerns
Rickshaws – also known as pedicabs – were first seen on the city’s streets back in 2009 when the council began granting licenses to eager street traders. At their most popular, Glasgow boasted ten licensed operators.
However, the council then did a u-turn and began to refuse licence renewal in 2010 amidst concerns over public safety.
The council’s decision came following an incident in Edinburgh in which Corporal Christopher O’Kane, 26, suffered a fatal blow to the head after falling from a rickshaw.
Council officials stated at the time that they were willing to allow rickshaws on the city’s streets but only on the basis that the owners presented a European standard against which their safety could be measured. To date this has not been done.
Taxi Trade in Support of Council
Stephen Flynn, vice chairman of Glasgow Taxis Ltd, said: “Does Glasgow really need this extra service and similarly, do we have the capacity to accommodate more traffic in the congested city centre?
“Also, from a general public perspective, it’s important that any method of public transport in Glasgow can provide sufficient levels of passenger safety – this should always be the priority.
“I don’t see why rickshaw drivers and their vehicles should not undergo the same degree of scrutiny as anybody else carrying paying passengers.”
Glasgow City Council said a 2011 consultation identified safety concerns about the rickshaws, including that only one seatbelt was used for all passengers and that there was no kind of safety frame or roll bar.
Since then meetings have been held with operators but the council said it was still waiting for a suitable standard against which to compare Glasgow vehicles.
A spokesman said: “If we are going to license a vehicle, it needs to be safe – potential passengers wouldn’t expect anything else. We are trying to give the trade time to get a vehicle tested or demonstrate that they can meet safety standards.”
Council Controversy
Defending the mode of transport, Owen O’Neill, who runs Evolution Rickshaws in Edinburgh, said: “I want to give jobs to people and set up a successful business in Glasgow.
“I’ve showed the council safety certificates for the rickshaws I use, but they still don’t believe they are safe. It’s just getting ridiculous.”
In what could be viewed as a hypocritical move by the council, rickshaws were used to publicise the launch of the new Hydro venue.
Outraged, Mr O’Neill commented: “I couldn’t believe it, how could they say it was fine for those rickshaws but it’s not OK for others?”
Rickshaw veteran, Tom Brown, 49, said: “In the eight years I’ve been doing this, I’ve never had an accident. It’s a bike – tourists like to see it, even people who live in Glasgow like to see it.
“People used to use it for getting a lift to the taxi rank after a night out. I’ve never heard anyone complaining about them.”
Rickshaw operators are reportedly considering legal action over the issue.