TLC defers disciplinary hearing for pedicabber Jake Stewart while criminal case proceeds; staff cites rogue operator as broader safety concern

The Metropolitan Transportation Licensing Commission ended an emergency suspension for pedicab driver Jake Stewart and deferred disciplinary proceedings until related criminal charges are resolved, after counsel and industry representatives asked the commission to allow Stewart to continue working or be placed on probation during the criminal process.

Why it matters: Stewart told the commission his pedicab business is his primary source of income. Industry representatives said a recurring safety problem caused by an unpermitted operator has created confrontations in the field and may be part of the context for the current case.

At public comment, Ash Pereira, who manages Nashville BiCab, described an ongoing safety problem involving a Chicago operator, Lewis Lawson, whom staff and enforcement described as unpermitted. Pereira told the commission the city has seen multiple incidents where competitors were assaulted with “bear mace” and customers injured; Pereira said the conduct had cost pedicabber Jake Stewart thousands in stolen items and lost income and that Stewart “has always been a wonderful pedicabber.”

Erin Coleman, attorney for Stewart, briefed the commission on the criminal docket and told commissioners that, in Davidson County, possession charges for small amounts of marijuana often are disposed of; she urged the commission to place Stewart on probation rather than keep him suspended while the criminal case is pending. Coleman said she had not been able to review body-worn camera footage and noted scheduling limits in the criminal docket.

NDOT staff and enforcement described repeated enforcement actions against the other operator: TD reported enforcement wrote Lawson a citation the previous evening, and staff said Lawson “does not have a permit” and has been repeatedly cited. Compliance inspector Tamika Smith, who responded to a June 21st scene, said officers found Stewart in handcuffs when she arrived and that earlier enforcement had issued citations to both parties. Smith said Lawson had been cited many times and that enforcement planned to pursue civil or criminal remedies, including seeking convictions that could support an injunction.

Commission action: commissioners voted to end the existing suspension and defer the disciplinary hearing until criminal adjudication; the motion carried. The commission also noted that TLC’s emergency suspension authority is time-limited and asked staff and legal counsel to coordinate scheduling so the commission could hear a disciplinary matter after court disposition.

What comes next: TLC staff will work with Metro Legal, enforcement and prosecutors to monitor court dates; TLC will redocket and hold a disciplinary hearing if the criminal case produces convictions or other evidence that would support administrative discipline. Commissioners asked staff to seek faster docketing but acknowledged court scheduling limits.