London pedicab operators are to face stricter regulations as rulebreakers are fined £20,000 for ripping off tourists. Rickshaw bikes ferrying tourists around the capital have become a serious concern for TfL over the safety of the bikes, anti-social behaviour by its drivers and extortionate prices.
The fines, costs and victim surcharges total £20,202.50 following the latest round of prosecutions at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Nine pedicabs operators – several repeat offenders – have been hit, says the Birmingham Mail.
They have faced some of the biggest individual fines totalling £9,075 following the latest round of rickshaw bikes prosecutions.
The riders’ fines, costs, and victim surcharges ranged from £750 to £1,460 under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection Cllr Aicha Less said in a statement: “This is Westminster, not the Wild West. These fines send a clear message: if you break the rules in our city you will end up out of pocket and out of excuses.
“Whilst we work with TfL to finalise a structured the licencing scheme is being finalised, our City Inspectors continue to prosecute pedicab drivers and partner with our neighbours in Lambeth and in the Metropolitan Police to ensure unsuspecting tourists are not ripped off.”
In TfL’s consultation which opened on January 27, one of the main aims for regulating pedicabs in London was to “make them as safe as possible”, ensuring they are “driven in a safe and professional way.”
There is also a proposal for licensing requirements similar to taxis and private hire vehicles, meaning a pedicab driver’s licence would be required, issued for one year at a time.
(Pic: TfL)
