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Regulations could hinder venture
8:40am Wednesday 4th April 2007
A PLAN by the grandson of Robert Maxwell to use rickshaws as taxis in Oxford may struggle to get in gear.
Oxford City Council is to hold an inquiry into the feasibility of licensing rickshaws, but officials said there were problems - including a cap on the number of taxis in the city.
However, city council licensing chiefs have asked the authority's high-level environment scrutiny committee to examine the case for allowing pedal taxis to take fare-paying customers, a potentially lucrative business.
Oxford University undergraduate Ted Maxwell, 20, has already paid £10,000 to import five rickshaws from Colorado. The two-seater machines are already popular in London's West End.
But he cannot tout for business in the street as he does not have a hackney carriage licence.
Taxi licensing officer Phil Pirouet said: "Rickshaws fall very far short of the present safety and constructional requirements for hackney carriages in Oxford.
"But even if a rickshaw could meet the criteria, the council would not be in a position to licence a rickshaw at present due to the limit on hackney carriage licences.
"There are considerable obstacles to be overcome if rickshaws are to be licensed in Oxford."
Rickshaws in Oxford are nothing new, as 11 years ago, entrepreneur Erica Steinhauer ran a short-lived rickshaw business before it hit financial problems.
But Mr Maxwell said: "In principle, councillors would like to see rickshaws in Oxford, but we can't ply for hire on the streets.
"We can respond to telephone bookings, tours and deliveries, but we can't do what I would like to be doing.
"I am expecting the tourist season to see us through and I hope it's a matter of time rather than if' we get the licence."
Your Say YourOxford
hunt, oxford says...
3:09pm Wed 4 Apr 07
Its against the dignity of humans that one has to ,like an animal service another human.
This is England and its 2007 !!!!
Dont let this happen .
av, says...
4:07pm Wed 4 Apr 07
Hunt. how is this against the dignity of humans, the people who will pedal them will do so out of choice and be paid for it?
Amanda, Oxford says...
4:07pm Wed 4 Apr 07
Roger, Oxford says...
4:16pm Wed 4 Apr 07
I guess you're completely against bicycle couriers as well then, eh hunt? After all, they have to use their own muscles "like an animal" to "service another human". Heaven forbid anyone voluntarily getting some exercise during the course of their working day in the England of 2007!
How pray tell, hunt, are Richshaws more obstructive and less safe than two bicyclists riding abreast? How are they less safe, for both tourists and locals, than the (completely unregulated) bicycle hire firms that already exist in Oxford?
hunt, oxford says...
5:53pm Wed 4 Apr 07
How safe can they be, with passengers in them, cars over taking, buses and you will have a poor student trying to get some over weight individual (s) across, from one street to another. After all thats all they would travel.
Dignity, Ive seen them in Thailand and India, its not quite the same as a car with mechanical engine is it?
Roger, Oxford says...
7:15pm Wed 4 Apr 07
By the way hunt - Rickshaws have been operating in central London (with its 30mph speeds, saturation traffic, and vastly higher number of tourists) for at least 5 years now. No doubt that's why the papers are full of stories of dead and injured rickshaw passengers, right? Oh wait...
Overreaction was it? Pot, meet kettle.
S Brown, oxford says...
8:17pm Wed 4 Apr 07
What interests do you have have you spend a bit too much in making an investment
If you wish to paddle people about good luck mate
I also feel they are not safe
Alexis Zafiropoulos, Oxford says...
3:15pm Sat 7 Apr 07
hunt wrote:Hunt, among so many others, seems to assume cars are a gift to humanity and ignorantly that they are safe. Well
These things are unsafe, obstructive and a step backwards
Its against the dignity of humans that one has to ,like an animal service another human.
This is England and its 2007 !!!!
Dont let this happen .
lets face facts they are not:
How many people are seriously injured in HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) incidents? Very few. By cars with their "mechanical engines"? Very many.
Cars, taxis, buses, lorries all contribute
to air pollution and
respiratory diseases.
All motorised transport also afects us and future generations by putting tonnes of CO2 into the
air and causing global warming. I could go on
and on about
the compelling arguments for developing 'greener' alternative
transport and the many benefits to society they bring but now is not the time.
I fully support Ted's enterprise and as one of his "animal"
'slaves' I can safely say that it's much more fun and profitable than the gym excercise bike.
Alexis, Co-Director @ Oxford Cycle Workshop
Henry Strivens, Oxford says...
9:33pm Sat 7 Apr 07
As a rickshaw rider for the very company in question, I can tell you that it's great fun to ride them, people love them, they are probably safer that taxi's (based on number of accidents since rickshaws were in opration vs. taxi accidents), and, did I mention, we ride them mainly because it's actually quite fun, and very good exercise.
Now, I am astounded at how you can think that it makes me un-dignified, but, in order to try and alleviate your mis-understanding, I am offering you a FREE ride in a rickshaw, at a pre-arranged time and date! This is a fantastic opportunity, and, should you want to take me up on it, feel free to email strivs@lycos.co.uk, and I will get back to you shortly about arranging a ride, so you can see what it is really all about. (seeing Oxford from a better point of view, getting around faster, having a bit oif fun, etc...)
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Roger, Oxford says...
10:58am Wed 4 Apr 07
What a brilliant demonstration of just how small-minded and petty some Oxford council officers can be. The limit on hackney carriage numbers is based almost entirely on concerns over traffic management (something Rickshaws are unlikely to affect any more than thousands of "unregulated" bicyles do currently) and air pollution (which Rickshaws alleviate, rather than cause). I can see absolutely no reason for the council's unwillingness to embrace the idea of Rickshaws - but then jobsworths do like being obstructive for no good reason at all...don't they Mr Pirouet?