Houston crackdown targets unpermitted, unlicensed pedicabs seemingly operated by out-of-town drivers

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If they don’t go away, the City of Houston will tow unlicensed pedicabs away.

Starting Oct. 1, the city says it will begin towing and impounding any pedicabs it finds without the yellow permit sticker on the seat post.

“It seems like whenever we have large events, there’s a lot more (pedicabs) that show up from out of town, and they’re not permitted by the city,” Billy Rudolph, the city’s administration and regulatory affairs division, said.

A pedicab permit costs $353, including the inspection and administrative fee. The fine for not having one is $500.

“Sometimes, the citations aren’t much of a deterrent, so perhaps when we start letting them know they’re going to be towed, that’ll let them think twice,” Rudolph said.

Alonso Quintanilla, who founded Rollout Productions Pedicab six years ago, said he and his drivers welcome the crackdown.

“It has to draw a line somewhere, and if they’re not going to listen, then that’s the consequence,” Christopher Sprott, one of Quintanilla’s drivers, said.

In addition to pedicab permits, licenses are required for pedicab drivers.

Pedicab companies are required to hold a $1 million liability insurance policy.

“That’s for the safety of the passenger because if you got in an accident, it might be on them to foot the bill,” Rudolph said.

You can learn about the pedicab permitting process on the Houston Permitting Center’s website.

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