Welcome to New York, drivers of Kazakhstan.
City pedicab drivers have been picking up fares without ever having taken a New York state road test — operating with foreign driver’s licenses from countries like Turkey, Uzbekistan and Burkina Faso, The Post has learned.
Unlike other cities, including San Francisco, Austin and Denver, that require pedicabbies to have a valid license from the state where they work, New York does not even require a US license, according to a study by Chicago’s John Marshall Law School.
New York has been cracking down on rickshaw drivers since stricter regulations went into effect in July, but the new rules don’t ensure they are experienced enough for local streets.
“If you got to the root of the problem, are drivers qualified to be on the streets? That’s been overlooked since Day One,” said Robert Tipton, a pedicab owner.
He added that the laxity in licensing has been behind many of the issues the pedicab industry has faced.
Ibrahim Minoungou, a 51-year-old peddicabby from Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, has been using his West African driver’s license on city streets for two years.
“It’s a little different,” he said, noting that in Burkina Faso, they drive on the left side of the road.
Another Burkina Faso native, Eric Piga, said that the driving conditions in New York are much different than those in West Africa.
“Here it much harder,” said 32-year-old Piga, who began driving when he was just 12 years old.
He started off with a foreign license but now drives with a New York license.
Tipton insisted that anyone who drives a vehicle-for-hire in New York City must be qualified.
“It’s a serious thing, whether it’s a ferry, school bus or pedicab. You need a [state] driver’s license to drive any other vehicle than a pedicab,” he said.
A city Department of Consumer Affairs source said that all drivers are vetted first, with all foreign applicants required to submit certified proof of their driving record.