Pedicab drivers in downtown Phoenix are itching to get out and ride again, but the pandemic has stopped them from doing so.
It’s been nearly 10 months since COVID-19 forced people all over the country into their homes and away from others, and pedicabbers were left without jobs.
Unlike restaurants and bars that could create a pick-up or delivery system for their customers, the pedicab industry did not have that luxury. Drivers depend on others being out-and-about during busy times of the year.
Bob Bernet, owner of Kind Green Tours LLC, said that he had four drivers working for him personally and a team of 12 independent drivers who all had to take a hiatus from biking in March.
“There’s no reason to come out. I didn’t suspend the operations…but if, for some reason, there were to be a concert or something held at the arena, I’d be able to get three bikes out, get two guys, and be up and running real quickly.”
Bernet became interested in pedicabbing after suffering from back pain which forced him to walk with a cane. He said part of his physical therapy was biking, and after his insurance no longer covered it, he hopped on a bike and “never looked back.”
Kind Green, an eco-friendly “concierge on wheels,” specializes in pedicab bike tours and offers party bus and golf cart services. Bernet said that his golf cart saved him from significant financial losses because the Scottsdale night clubs, in particular, didn’t slow down.
“I was very fortunate that Scottsdale was out there for me to not only supplement, but at times, supersede the income I was making,” Bernet said. “I had to call teammates up and say, ‘Please, you’ve got to get out here, it is way too busy. I cannot handle this all by myself.’”
Last year, Kind Green broke $100,000 in revenue, and Bernet said he lost about 40% of that in 2020. However, he also said his net loss was only 10% because he was relieved of 30% of his expenses, which includes the upkeep and registration of the vehicles. He even received a rebate from insurance.
Each bike requires the owner to have insurance, and Bernet said he purchases a $50 sticker for each one, which is issued by the Phoenix Police Department after a rigorous safety and registration inspection.
These stickers usually last a year, but Bernet said the department has extended the expiration until further notice so it could figure out a safe way to continue inspections.
Because money wasn’t much of an issue for Bernet, his biggest worry was that his riders would find other employment before the pandemic died down.
“You find people that you can trust, that know the city really well, and are polite to guests because that’s the reason I feel we’re in business, to show visitors a great time in Phoenix,” Bernet said. “For the other riders, I understand that it may not be their only source of income, it sometimes is, so I was kind of worried that they would not be available.”
Matt McDonald, one of Bernet’s former pedicab drivers, said he was only a part-time rider since he had another day job, but still became “financially strict” during COVID.
“[The pandemic] didn’t hit me like that. I was socking away money because everyone likes to have that cushion. Like everybody during the pandemic, I watched my money and curbed in other areas,” McDonald said. “But when I was really running with the bikes and doing two jobs, you almost didn’t have time to spend it.”
McDonald said on his best night, he made nearly $400 worth of tips, and that a driver can usually depend on $40-50 in a single round. From the money made, he had to give Bernet 25% after renting the bike.
A pedicabber has the ability to decide when and how many hours they want to ride in a week, and McDonald said virtually anyone can do it, as long as they have a driver’s license. The busiest and most demanding seasons are spring and summer because there is a higher amount of foot traffic for downtown concerts and sporting events.
McDonald said he would love to start riding again because it is great exercise and he was able to meet a lot of people. He said he’s hoping a coronavirus vaccine will come out soon to make that happen.
“I think if we can really get our hands on this thing…by April or May, we can get the numbers down. People are starving to go out there, starving for concerts, starving for sports. If anything, it’ll be the best summer we’ll have ever had.”
Contact the reporter mphammel@asu.edu.
"The Flexible Journalist" -
Hammel is a fourth-year student studying broadcast journalism at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite college in an accelerated bachelor's-master's program. She is currently the Executive Editor for The Downtown Devil - a publication that covers hyperlocal news in the downtown Phoenix area - and is always looking for ways to improve her reporting and news writing skills—behind the camera and in front of it.
Hammel is also a certified yoga instructor at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex; she is flexible physically as well as in a way that allows her to be able to cover any news story that will educate the public, encourage civil discourse and impact communities.
