WAILUKU — Some people on Maui want to limit bike tours they say create safety hazards, but company owners worry new restrictions would hurt business.
Maui County Council Member Mike Molina introduced a bill Tuesday to limit the times and number of people who could go on guided bike tours, The Maui News reported.
Among the proposed rules is a ban on unguided tours and a requirement that guided tours operate only between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The measure would also limit riders to 10 per group and cap the number of companies that can operate in certain districts to six.
Jeremy Hall, co-owner of Haleakala Bike Company, said the proposal goes against small businesses and is anti-tourism.
“We’re not some mainland company that’s popped up and is taking money out of the community, using public resources — we’re people who live Upcountry, my employees live Upcountry,” said Hall, whose business has been operating on Maui for 30 years.
Some residents said the tours create traffic hazards.
“These roadways were not built for bikes, these roadways are even risky for residents who live here,” said Haiku resident Jasmine Kilborn. “Visitors don’t know the area, they don’t know the road or what they’re getting themselves into.”