Drivers

The more you know your way around, the higher your earning potential as a driver.  We would recommend studying a good map of New York (just Manhattan) and reading a good guide book, such as the Michelin guide to New York.  Important landmarks include: Empire State Building, Times Square, the major museums, the theater district. Grand Central Station, Central Park and SoHo.

We spend a lot of time with new drivers coaching them and encouraging them to develop their skills, so do not worry.  Some drivers go on to obtain their NYC tour guide license, which opens up a different avenue of guided tour rates for passengers. 

But every driver agrees to drive safely and legally, and we have a driver’s rental agreement that describes the responsibilities of the driver. Manhattan Rickshaw Company started offering service in Manhattan in 1995.  It was the first company to bring the Main Street -brand pedicabs to NYC, the to the East Coast for that matter…the first one in 1995 and then another in 1996 (yellow and red, respectively).

For us, it is both a real business and a labor of love.  Maybe more of the latter.  Maybe that’s why, we’re the longest continuously operating pedicab company in NYC. 

Pedicabs can serve real transportation needs even in a fast-paced city like New York, more so in trying times for us (think of the blackout or the weeks after September 11).  It can also serve as a refreshing pause from the pace of life.  Most pedicab drivers in NYC are dedicated to the positive effects of pediacs and appreciate the unique role they play in the city.  In fact, some are out and out passionate about pedicabs! 

Some drivers are very concerned about making money, which is a valid concern, but it’s no fun to be worried about money all the time while you’re trying to encourage others to have fun on a pedicab.  Try to keep things in perspective. 

Pedicabs are a great way to meet people.  Do you speak a foreign language?  Pedicab driving is a  agreat way to work outdoors, meet people and create street theater at the same time.  Every ride is a work of art in a sense, a knitting together of all the sights and sounds between points A and B.