Rickshaw company denied licence
A student who started a private rickshaw company in oxford has been denied a licence to operate publicly. Ted Maxwell, a Balliol second year, established Oxon Carts last December. Since then, he has been privately transporting tourists and ball guests around Oxford.
Maxwell said, "Students have probably seen the rickshaws around. We have been ferrying them back and forth from college balls around the city. But we don't want to stay a bloody tourist company. We want to operate like a proper taxi service and subsequently make a positive impact on the environment."
Oxford City Council has refused to licence the rickshaws for use as a taxi service because of the high demand for licences in Oxford: there were 75 applications for only one new licence this year.
A spokesperson from the Oxford City Council said, "We have a regulated number of licences we give out, which is 107, and we were completely full this year. The Council carries out an annual suvey to see if there is a high demand for new licences. This year it was found there was very low demand."
Maxwell said, "This is so completely stupid and we are in dialogue with the Council to amend this law. It is a slow democracy and the appeal must go through a ballot before it can be put into action."
Maxwell would like the Council to create a licensing system just for rickshaws. "I'm rather hoping Oxon Carts gets its own category and license, independent of other vehicles."
A spokesperson from the Council said, ""We will have to chance the policy and criteria to allow these rickshaws to operate as a taxi service and that will take a while. It is obviously a goo idea but Oxon Carts must accept legislation just like everyone else."
10th May 2007