A bumpy start for pedicab business

Tori Sutton
STAFF REPORTER
Eco-Riders Pedicabs have hit in the streets in Stratford but the company’s owner fears it may not last long if he cannot attract new riders.

Last week Patrick Chilvers hit a major bump in the road when the Stratford Police Services board laid down new rules requiring pedicab riders to have G2 licences.

The board made the decision after seeking advice from legal counsel, who suggested riders should have G2 licences for insurance purposes.

Chilvers launched the pedicab business two weeks ago. He’s received about 20 applications from those interested in riding a pedicab, but since most are avid cyclists, few have their driver’s licence.

Other than himself, he currently has two riders in their 50s, who are avid cyclists but still can only ride for so many hours each day.

“It seems counterintuitive to me to demand a motor vehicle licence to ride a bicycle when I think that’s the way we should be going,” he said, calling the licensing issue “unfortunate.”

He acknowledges other cities have similar requirements but hoped Stratford would treat the pedicabs as it has treated rickshaws in the past, requiring operators to pass a “rules of the road” test administered at the local police station.

Chilvers, an actor who trained in the apprentice program at the Festival in the early 1990s, decided to start the pedicab business in Stratford after speaking with a friend about a similar venture.

The more he researched pedicabs – which are wildly popular in other cities throughout the world – the more he thought they would be perfect for the Festival City.

“They’re perfect for the location, for the size of the town, for the demographic of the tourists here,” he said, in an interview at his shop at the train station last Friday.  “They have a nice classic feel to them which fits in really well with the history of Stratford.”

The pedicabs are top of the line, produced by a reputable company in Colorado. With turn signals, running lights and hydraulic-disc brakes, Chilvers said they are safe and much easier to manoeuvre in traffic than a traditional rickshaw.

To make his business model work, he needs all six of his pedicabs on the road, not only to generate revenue but to act as rolling advertisements for the company.

Because the biggest challenges he’s faced, licensing issues aside, is getting people comfortable with using the bicycle taxis. He notes many American visitors are familiar with the cabs, as they operate in most major U.S. cities.

“It is a change for people, it’s a foreign thing,” he said. “It’s pretty new to most people in Canada.”

He offers tours of Stratford, taking tourists around the river or around town to see historic buildings and homes. But he emphasizes pedicabs are a good form of transportation for locals looking to run errands, or for quick trips around town.

The fare is $1 per minute, which isn’t as steep as it sounds when you consider the recently approved flat-rate increase for taxi cabs in the city, from $7 to $8.

“I can get from the Festival Theatre to downtown in just under seven minutes,” said Chilvers.

He also notes pedicabs have been popular with bar crowds in other cities, who find the alternative form of transportation to be a novel way to get home safely after a night on the town. Flagging a pedicab down on the street isn’t the only way to get a ride; people can call for pick-ups as well.

He is buoyed by the support and positive feedback he’s received from tourists and locals alike and hopes to network with everyone from B&B owners to local retirement homes.

But most of all, he’s hoping the recent media attention will help him attract not only new customers, but more riders.

“I hope there are more riders out there,” he said. “If more people come out of the woodwork with G2s that want to ride bikes, I think that’s fantastic.”

For more information about EcoRiders, visit www.ecoriders.ca.

PHOTO: Patrick Chilvers hit the streets with his new business, EcoRiders Pedicabs, two weeks ago. Though encouraged by the response, a recent Stratford Police Services board decision to require his riders to have G2 licences has thrown a wrench into his plans. (Tori Sutton Photo)