Epstein asks whether TLC oversight will resolve pedicab enforcement
Epstein worries TLC could be in the same position in three years. Harris says TLC is the right agency because licensing and enforcement would be under one umbrella, with direct accountability, and could use civil penalties and task forces to clean up the industry.
Thank you very much.
Kenny, so do you, honestly, do you think moving this to 2?
TLC will resolve this problem because I'm worried, honestly, that TLC will be in the same place that we are in three years from now if TLC is doing enforcement.
They'll issue tickets and we'll still have the same.
Well, we might be having the same conversation in three years.
Well, I hope not.
But what I would say is the TLC is the perfect agency because everything's under one umbrella.
They issue the licenses, they do the enforcement, and there's a direct accountability between the enforcement and the violation and the license.
So just think about it this way, and it would be my hope that in two years we have zero summonses being issued because there's clear rules, there's accountability for violations, and we bring all of those people into the fold.
TLC, we talked a little bit about insurance.
They also have programs to defray the cost of insurance for taxi operators, so that could help the pedicab industry be more compliant.
You know, again, I think TLC was made to enforce pedicabs.
We just need to give them the resources.
Or like I think about the approach when, and Council Member Brewer remembers well, the unlicensed smoke shops and weed shops.
It was a combination of the civil and the criminal teams that went out and addressed that.
The sheriff's office took the lead, the police department enforced, and you were able to get rid of those problems.
The same could happen here.
TLC could take the lead with police support.
You could have small task forces with very few TLC peace officers, and you would clean up the industry quickly.