Pedicabs in London to face regulation for the first time
The changes come after a public campaign for more rules over pedicabs in the centre of London.
Transport for London are set to introduce new regulations for pedicabs across London in stages over the next year.
The new rule changes include mandatory licences for drivers, operators and vehicles and regulated maximum fairs for pedicab journeys.
TFL says issues around safety on the city's road network is the main reason for these changes.
Transport for London were given powers to regulate the pedicab industry following the introduction of The Pedicabs (London) Act in 2024.
It's hoped introducing this regulation will make pedicabs, used by hundreds of people every day, safer and ensure they are driven and maintained properly.
From today a number of minimum standards will come in including, for drivers, a full DBS check and assessment of their safety, equality and regulatory understadings.
Pedicabs will now have to display a valid licence identifier and loud music being played from the vehicles will now be banned.
Changes to fares will come in later this year, with caps in place for how much they can charge per minute of a journey. TFL says this regulation will ensure the income of pedicab drivers will exceed the London living wage.
In one case cited in the Commons, a tourist was charged more than £450 for a seven-minute journey with their two children that took them little more than a mile.
But now TfL has proposed a cap on all rickshaw fares. Under the proposals, passengers will be charged a maximum base fare of £5, then £1 per minute for the first passenger, rising to £3 per minute for every additional passenger.
Riders will also need a licence for their vehicle at a cost of £100, and for themselves, at a proposed cost for £114. Both would last a year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “After years of campaigning, I’m pleased that TfL will be regulating pedicabs across the capital to ensure they meet proper operational standards.
“Pedicabs should be a fun way to explore London – but too often people face rip-off fares, blaring music and unsafe behaviour. We’re bringing in these new rules so that both customers and drivers can benefit from an industry that is more safe, reliable and professional.
“This will play an important role in supporting our vital night-time economy and enabling more people to enjoy all that our great city has to offer as we continue building a safer, fairer, greener London for everyone.”