Chris Elder, Unite Union taxi branch secretary, has said he has “serious concerns” about the plan.
Entrepreneur Adam Gierak has proposed to introduce the bike-based mode of transport, arguing that it will provide customers with a safe and environmentally friendly way of getting round the city.
However, Mr Elder said: “I have serious concerns regarding the public safety of this proposal.
“Who will test these contraptions to see if they are fit for the road? Will the rickshaw operators have public liability insurance? Will they sit a street knowledge test?
“The proposals claim that the rickshaws only do five miles an hour and that there are no emissions so it would benefit the city. Are the council going to put cycle lanes all over the city centre to deal with these rickshaws? If not they will cause more pollution in the city with buses and taxis piled up behind them.
“There is not enough taxi rank space as it is — where are these rickshaws going to sit?”
Councillors will vote on Mr Gierak’s idea at the licensing
committee on Thursday, but Mr Elder also believes that he is applying for the wrong sort of licence.
“I understand that the rickshaw operator is applying for a street traders’ licence,” Mr Elder said. “If he is picking up passengers for hire and reward he would need a hackney licence and, as the city has capped hackney licences, he would need a private hire licence and would need to be pre-booked,” he added.
Mr Gierak, who is from Poland, plans on starting out with two rickshaws — one ridden by himself and another by a second driver. His rickshaws would go by the name Scottish Eco-taxis, and he says they will offer three types of trip.
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London
A taxi driver who was wrongly arrested on suspicion of rape said his ordeal left him feeling suicidal.
Francis Miiro, 38, was driving along Brighton Road with his girlfriend on January 30 when he was stopped by police and arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in her Benhill estate flat earlier that month.
The Brunswick Road man was held for 36 hours and despite his DNA not matching that found on the scene and not being picked out of a line-up by the victim, he was released on bail and had his driving licence seized meaning he could not work.
Mr Miiro, a father-of-one, remained on bail until March 5 when he was finally allowed to return to normal life - but not before he had to explain the situation to his daughter, his co-workers and his friends.
Now he says the incident has affected his life to the extent that it has harmed his relationship with his girlfriend and left him feeling suicidal.
He told the Sutton Guardian: "I was just driving along when I got stopped. The officer said 'can you wind down your window' and then 'you're under arrest on suspicion of rape'. It was terrifying.
"He looked at my driver's licence, turned to his mate, and said 'yes, that's him'."
Mr Miiro was arrested because of his resemblance to an e-fit the police released of the a man suspected of posing as a council worker in order to rape the woman on January 11.
He added: "They showed me the e-fit and said 'it looks like you', I said 'how does that look like me - every black man is different'."
Mr Miiro was arrested at 6am and by 2pm the inconclusive identity parade had taken place.
However, Mr Miiro was told he would have to wait until the results of his DNA test were returned from a lab.
Mr Miiro said after 36 hours the DNA test had come back as not a match, and was released on bail only to find out both his and his sister's homes had been raided while he was being held. His passport and driver's licence were seized.
He was given his passport back so he could go on a planned trip to his home country of Uganda but his driver's licence was retained meaning he was unable to work.
He added: "I had to explain to people what had happened. My daughter was expecting me to pick her up to take her to school that day and I had to tell her what had happened and she would have to think 'is my daddy a rapist?'.
"The people I work with, they look at me differently now, I can see it in people's reactions. It's changed things for me and my girlfriend as well.
"The whole thing is terrible. I've been feeling suicidal - what's the point when I've done nothing wrong and this happens?"
A Metropolitan police spokesman said a complaint had been received regarding the arrest but said they could not comment on the case.
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Bolton.
A TAXI driver feared for his life after a yob threw a lit firework on to his lap while he was behind the wheel, a court has heard.
Stephen Westhead, aged 25, laughed and said “your taxi is on fire. What are you going to do now” as victim Akilbhai Fatakiya fled from the burning car.
Denise Fitzpatrick, prosecuting, said Westhead and two other men approached Mr Fatakiya’s Toyota Avensis while it was stopped at the junction of Union Road and Pole Street at about 10.30pm on November 6, last year.
One of the men asked the victim how he was seconds before Westhead threw a lit Roman candle into his private hire car.
Ms Fitzpatrick said: “Westhead threw the ignited firework into the taxi. It was alight, it landed on the knee of the taxi driver. It fell to the floor and landed in the driver’s foot well.
“The driver was scared for his life. He jumped out of the taxi and began to run away.”
Bolton Crown Court heard (MON) that a fire service crew manager, who attended the blaze, said the driver would “surely have died” if he had not fled. The car, which cost £1,700 was completely destroyed.
Mark Friend, defending, said Westhead, of of Union Road, Tonge Moor, was drunk and “did an incredibly foolish” thing.
He had been struggling to cope with family issues as his ex-partner had been in a relationship with his brother. His child was also in foster care.
Judge Peter Davies, sentencing, said: “The three of you thought it would be amusing if you lit a firework and threw it into a car. I think it was dangerous and nasty.
“A firework is a bomb with all that petrol and oil. Even without that environment it is lethal.
“Spiteful, wicked and nasty is what it was. You excuse yourself with intoxication — I don’t think that’s an excuse I think it’s worse.”
Westhead, who has seven previous convictions, admitted arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He was jailed for five years.
Nick Astley, director at Metro Cars, who Mr Fatakiya drives for, said: “I am pleased the judge has seen it as being really serious. This is the first time I have known of a car to be set on fire from a firework.
“It probably started as a bit of a fun and a fame but it’s turned out to be really nasty. Fortunately only the car was damaged. If Mr Fatakiya hadn’t got out of the car he would have died or been seriously injured.”
The Prosecutor Ms Fitzpatrick is believed to be the same Barrister who led the, less than impressive, court case against Arrow Cars. Manchester .
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Manchester + National
After the surprise arrival of UBER in Manchester. Along come Minicabit, an O2 telephone giant, online minicab booking service.
I made a provisional booking for 7.2 mile journey and was quoted £17.60, I estimate the same journey by a Manchester Hack to be around £16.40 on Tariff One. (days).
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