Kenneth Winter describes 23 years in pedicab industry and need for electric assist

Thank you.

Go ahead, sir.

First time.

Good morning.

My name is Kenneth Winter.

I am a 23-year veteran of the industry.

I've been working this job for a very long time.

I will admit that I do use an electric assist and that I did the first 15 years of my profession.

I am also a licensed tour guide, by the way, but I did the first 15 years of my profession without one.

This has led to me developing a neuropathy in my legs and some mobility issues, which also led to venous insufficiency, which makes it a little more difficult for me to operate my vehicle.

But I am now a single father as of 2020.

Due to the pandemic, which caused a lot of problems, a lot of the enforcement fell away, and it's made the industry more difficult to operate in.

But I need the electric assist because I need to be able to keep working.

I can't be idealistic anymore like I used to be, and it's too late for me to make really a change in career.

Anyway, this is what I am and what I do.

I'm an ambassador for the city of New York, and I basically...

Engage in teaching and also, I guess, hosting visitors to the city of New York and do my very best to show New York City in its best light.

All I can do is hope that these hearings will bring a positivity, a positive change to the industry.

Some of the issues that I've heard so far, I'm sure can be addressed and I'm sure I speak for our organization when I say that we're very open and willing

to be able to participate with all of the agencies involved in order to try to help them to reach our goals, which is better this industry and make it a

part of the actual network of

transportation in the city.

Thank you.