{"id":348894,"date":"2026-07-22T19:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/348894\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T19:02:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:02:07","slug":"orange-county-considering-pedicab-ordinance-updates-on-i-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/348894\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County considering pedicab ordinance updates on I-Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">ORLANDO, Fla.  \u2013 Orange County could be making changes to how pedicabs operate along International Drive, one of central Florida\u2019s most popular tourist corridors. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">County officials are considering updates to an existing ordinance and are looking for public input on how to improve safety, customer satisfaction and the overall pedicab experience in the district.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Pedicabs \u2014 three-wheeled cycles fitted with a passenger cab \u2014 are a familiar sight in tourist-heavy areas across the country. They are popular during Houston Astros games and along the beaches of Volusia County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">On I-Drive, they offer visitors a convenient way to navigate the area\u2019s restaurants, nightlife and attractions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">In 2017, Orange County passed an ordinance governing pedicab operations on I-Drive. The rules require all operators to obtain and display valid permits, carry liability insurance, post fare prices and comply with vehicle size and safety equipment guidelines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Catherine Ojeda, owner of Redi Pedi Cab Company, was a proponent of that ordinance when it passed, believing it was necessary to improve the pedicab experience for drivers and customers. She launched her business in 2006 and has been a fixture on I-Drive ever since.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe just had three pedicabs at the time, and we\u2019ve grown to more than 20 pedicabs now,\u201d Ojeda explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Now, Ojeda believes the current rules have not kept pace with the times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWell, for business to offer better experience, and to stay competitive, ourselves as business owners, I think some changes have to be done with what\u2019s allowed on the on the city cabs,\u201d Ojeda said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">One of the biggest sticking points: pedicabs are currently prohibited from using electric assist because it is classified as a motor. As electric scooters and electric bikes continue to grow in popularity, Ojeda argues pedicabs need the same option to keep up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI know conventions like us. I know exhibitors like us and the attendees enjoy the pedicab rides. When they hop on the pedicab, we\u2019re pretty much the only time of their day that they get to enjoy the Florida sunshine,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so, to have a pedal assist, it\u2019s going to help the driver; it\u2019s going to help the overall experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">It remains unclear when, or if, any proposed changes to the pedicab ordinance would come before the county commission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Orange County Public Works Department is holding a public meeting to discuss possible changes to the ordinance from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the West Concourse Room W221A at the Orange County Convention Center. Parking for the meeting will be complimentary. <\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Orange County could be making changes to how pedicabs operate along International Drive, one of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":348895,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[10749,1335,139,141,140],"class_list":["post-348894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-international-drive","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}