Arizona lawmakers are on the verge of licensing a new kind of vehicle. They’re calling it a quadricycle. But a few weeks ago when we told you Scottsdale was about to legalize it, we were calling it a pedal bus.
It’s essentially a bicycle, powered by up to 14 people, that can ferry you and your friends from bar to bar. But they don’t fit in any current category of vehicle.
State Rep. Karen Fann wants to call them limos. But Rep. Eric Meyer is not down with that.
“These cycles that multiple people can ride on are classified as limousines, which means that you can drink while pedaling these around town,” Meyer said.
Fann acknowledges that option but says the driver has to remain sober. And Robert Mayo, who makes and operates the vehicles in Arizona, says it doesn’t matter how drunk the passengers are.
“The driver, which is an employee of the company, has total control. So he has control of the steering wheel, he has the brakes. He has all that stuff," Mayo said.
Mayer says that means they wouldn’t even be able to run a stop sign. The legislation, which got initial approval in the House on Thursday, subjects the qaudricycle to the same insurance and licensing requirements as a limousine, but limits speeds to 25 miles per hour.