KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.
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EZ Pedicabs is expanding its fleet, adding drivers, and repositioning operations in Kansas City ahead of the FIFA World Cup - with changes the company says will benefit riders long after the tournament ends.
The company has moved to a new centralized base to accommodate its growing operation and prepare for larger crowds and longer shifts.
"With the increased fleet size, we've recently switched locations, we've moved into here a little more centralized and team-friendly, so we can have a place to meet and station, as well as prep for long shifts," Atticus Sloan of EZ Pedicabs said.
"With this specific event, we realize that there's a lot of travelers coming from other countries, other cities that may not have a vehicle," Sloan said.
Mark Manning of EZ Pedicabs said the goal is to help move people across the city more efficiently during what is expected to be a period of concentrated foot traffic.
"What you're going to see is a lot of the traffic being concentrated in one area, and what we're aiming to do is disperse that into different parts of the city, provide an east-west connection, get people to different parts of the city that they might not have normally been able to get to or experience just with the regular provided transportation," Manning said.
The company was already on a growth trajectory before the World Cup, but Manning said the tournament will help offset the cost of recent investments in new drivers and bikes - and allow EZ Pedicabs to improve its service going forward.
"Make it so, instead of just getting by, we're actually doing somewhat well, and we can pass it along to our drivers and take care of everybody and provide a better service overall," Manning said.
Manning said the company is confident heading into the tournament.
"It feels good to be where we're at and being ready for what's to come," Manning said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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