TfL set to regulate pedicabs in London for the first time amid safety concerns
The consultation, carried out by Transport for London (TfL) found that out of nearly 7,700 respondents, 75% currently felt unsafe while using a pedicab in the capital.
The rickshaws, common sights in London's main tourist destinations, are not currently regulated.
Nearly all (97%) of participants backed mandatory insurance for pedicab operators, 95% support the introduction of criminal background checks for drivers, and 85% believe that pedicab fares are too expensive.
Draft policy proposals include a TfL licensing system, along the same lines as that currently in place for London taxi drivers, with requirements including a minimum age of 18, a UK or EEA-valid drivers' licence, and English language skills.
TfL are also considering the introduction of insurance requirements, alongside safety equipment mandates.
The proposals could come into force from 2026 – but will become more detailed over the coming months, and are subject to a second consultation at the end of the year.
The use of music by pedicab drivers sparked particular frustration among the survey's respondents – including over 2,400 comments, double the number relating to any other topic.
96% of participants were in favour of volume limitations on music and other audio from pedicabs, and 78% believe these controls should be in place 'all the time'.
Helen Chapman, TfL's director of Licensing & Regulation, said: 'Pedicabs can provide a unique and green way to see the capital.
'However, they have an impact on the safety of the road network and are currently unregulated.
'We look forward to working with the pedicab industry to ensure it is run fairly and safely and continues to be a sustainable mode of transport.'
The move comes in the wake of parliamentary calls for regulation last year – which culminated in the Pedicabs (London) Act, granting TfL the statutory powers necessary to go through with the licensing system.
The transport authority proposes to take the lead on enforcement of any new regulations themselves, with all expenses recouped through the fees for pedicab licences.
In a campaign response to the survey, the London Pedicab Welfare Association (LPWA) said: 'While the intention behind this requirement is to ensure the safety of passengers and regulate the industry, it has created challenges for pedicab drivers who do not possess a driving licence.'
The LPWA instead proposed alternatives, including the introduction of a theory test for drivers to obtain their licence.
Ros Morgan, chief executive at the Heart of London Business Alliance, welcomed the proposals, saying: 'For far too long, members of the public have been at the mercy of rogue operators who do nothing to enhance the reputation of the West End.
'Implementation of the scheme could not come soon enough.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Streeting tells Israel to ‘get own house in order' in Glastonbury row
Dame Louise Ellman, former Labour MP and vice-chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, said the scenes were 'extremely chilling' and 'very frightening'. 'It's very frightening to see a performer whipping up a crowd with hate speech and specifically with anti-Semitism and hatred towards Jewish people on the public platform and particularly at a time when anti-Semitism is rising,' she said. 'It can't be possible and it can't be acceptable for performers at a major festival like this and the organisers to escape the laws of the land which are against incitement and incitement to hatred and that is simply what this is. 'Responsibility is across a number of people and primarily of course the performer who did all these things but the organisers of the festival too and the BBC as the national broadcaster. 'It is extremely chilling and very frightening and it can't go unattended to.' Former BBC executive and presenter Roger Bolton has told Times Radio that the BBC 'should have cut away' from the Glastonbury performance by Bob Vylan and 'cancelled the broadcast'. 'It's something the BBC should not have allowed to have happened,' he added.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
A British Leyland of TV is the Government's worst idea yet
A show about a good-looking human rights lawyer who becomes a triumphant, reforming prime minister? Or a mini-series about a brilliant, glamorous economist who becomes Britain's first female chancellor? Perhaps a movie about a fiery red-head who works her way up from poverty to become the most powerful woman in the country? As the Government paves the way for a potential merger between ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 to create a single, state-backed commercial broadcaster, it is not hard to imagine the kind of shows it might commission. But hold on. A British Leyland of television is the Government's worst idea yet. What the industry actually needs is more competition – not less. It may still be a few years off. But Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Government is very clearly paving the way for a major consolidation of the British broadcasting industry. Last week, as part of its shiny new 'industrial strategy', it opened the door to removing the barriers that prevent a merger between the existing terrestrial broadcasters. Apparently, ministers will examine 'possible consolidation between broadcasters', along with 'closer strategic partnerships'. Meanwhile, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom will be asked to review their definitions of 'television advertising' to include YouTube and Netflix, which again will make mergers easier. Add it all up, and it is not hard to see where this is going. We will need a single, state-backed commercial broadcaster to cope with a changing market, stand up to the American streaming giants, and preserve what used to be one of the UK's strongest industries. Heck, they could even bring in the marketing whizzes who gave us Great British Energy and Great British Railways to come up with the branding for Great British Television. Of course, we all understand that something needs to be done. In a world where streaming dominates, and with most people under 30 barely even aware of what traditional broadcasting through signals and aerials was, the industry is in an increasingly dire position. ITV, the biggest of the three, has seen its share price slump from 265p 10 years ago to just 80p now, and the broadcaster is only worth £3bn. There has already been plenty of speculation about a break-up, perhaps with a sale of its production unit, or else a full-scale takeover of the company, probably by a foreign buyer. Channel 4 has been slashing jobs and cutting back on its programming budget as it grapples with a declining advertising market. Meanwhile, Channel 5, which has never been a huge success since it was launched in 1997, is also potentially in play as its American owner Paramount prepares for a takeover by media company Skydance. Why not put all three together and create a new British-owned powerhouse in commercial broadcasting?
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Starmer: Iran ‘distracted' me from dealing with welfare bill rebellion
Sir Keir Starmer has said he did not get to grips with the growing rebellion over welfare reforms earlier as he was focused on international affairs. He also said he took ownership for his decisions and believed as leader he should 'carry the can' when things did not go well. 'I'd have liked to get to a better position with colleagues sooner than we did,' Sir Keir said.'I'm putting this as context rather than an excuse. 'I was heavily focused on what was happening with NATO and the Middle East all weekend. From the moment I got back from the G7, I went straight into a Cobra meeting. My full attention really bore down on this on Thursday. At that point, we were able to move relatively quickly.' The Prime Minister also insisted there had been 'a lot of outreach' over the bill to backbench MPs but acknowledged more should have been done. 'Would I rather have been able to get to a constructive package with colleagues earlier? Yeah, I would. [But] I believe in the world we live in, not the world we want to live in.' Rebellion prompts U-turn The comments came after over 100 Labour MPs rebelled against the government's welfare bill, prompting a last-minute U-turn on the planned reforms. 'Getting it right is more important than ploughing on with a package which doesn't necessarily achieve the desired outcome,' Sir Keir told The Sunday Times. There have been reports that rebel MPs blamed Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney for the Government's approach. Sir Keir said: 'My rule of leadership is, when things go well you get the plaudits; when things don't go well you carry the can. 'I take responsibility for all the decisions made by this government. I do not talk about staff and I'd much prefer it if everybody else didn't.' Tax rises? Ministers had hoped the reforms would get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year, but the concessions have left Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to find money elsewhere potentially in tax rises in the autumn. On Saturday, the Prime Minister told the Welsh Labour conference the 'broken' welfare system must be fixed 'in a Labour way'. He said: 'We cannot take away the safety net that vulnerable people rely on, and we won't, but we also can't let it become a snare for those who can and want to work.' Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, will hit out at Sir Keir as 'incapable of sticking to a decision' after he backed down on his plans. The reforms would only have made ' modest reductions to the ballooning welfare bill ', but the Prime Minister was 'too weak to hold the line', the Conservative Party leader is expected to say in a speech next week. Change in welfare reforms The Government's original welfare package had restricted eligibility for Pip, the main disability payment in England, as well as cutting the health-related element of universal credit. Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition. Now, the changes to Pip will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only, while all existing recipients of the health element of universal credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The concessions on Pip alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were set to lose out following reassessment. As a year in office nears, more than half of voters think Labour has underperformed in that time, polling released on Saturday showed. The Opinium survey showed 54 per cent think Labour has done a worse job than expected, while 18 per cent think the party has exceeded expectations.
