New strict rules are being brought in for pedicabs – what are they?
Congratulations Londoners. From next month, pedicabs will be subject to much stricter conditions.
The loud, colourful and generally obnoxious vehicles will no longer be freely taking up precious space on pavements, lurking outside tourist traps ready to take a mum and her children back to the hotel for more than £100.
But they have not just ripped customers off. They have been put road users at serious risk as pedicab drivers have not been held to any regulatory standards.
But from next month, they will be brought under strict new rules, which include maximum fares for journeys and mandatory licences.
And it is thanks to a public consultation which has permanently put the breaks on the vehicles.
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.’
What are the new rules for London’s pedicabs?
All pedicab drivers must have a full licence or a valid theory test certificate, be DBS checked and meeting English speaking assessments.
Vehicles must undergo regular safety checks as well as being given a number plate.
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Residents of the West End can hopefully get a better night’s sleep, with external audio from cabs completely banned.
Transport for London will also be enforcing maximum journey fares for the first time, to make sure no other tourist is ripped off.
Fares will be regulated in a similar way to black cabs and be based on journey time – rather than whatever arbitrary system is made up on the spot to justify £500 fees.
If approved by the Finance Committee, the base fare will be a maximum of £5, a minute charge of £1 and when there is more than one passenger a charge of up to £3.
Pedicab drivers can expect to pay a proposed £114 licence fee, and a pedicab licencing fee of £100.
Licences will be mandatory for drivers and operators from 30 October 2026 and for vehicles from February 2027.
Regulated maximum fares would come into force from 30 October 2026 alongside driver and operator licences.
What do Londoners think of the new rules?
Some Londoners don’t just want pedicabs regulated – they want them criminalised.
Fadil Maqedonci has lived and owned a restaurant in Leicester Square for more than 25 years and has said the pedicabs are ‘the most dangerous thing ever invented.’
He told Metro: ‘As a family, it has affected us massively. When I’m with the pram, I’m more concerned about them and the way they drive than cars.
‘Transporting pedestrians and the way they behave is a formula for a disaster.’
Heart of London Business Alliance’s Chief Executive, Ros Morgan, said: ‘HOLBA has campaigned for more than a decade to see pedicabs regulated, because people should be able to board a pedicab confident that it is roadworthy, that drivers are properly vetted and that fares are transparent.
‘These regulations are a significant step forward for the nation’s capital – protecting passengers and enabling the pedicab sector to operate legitimately while strengthening London’s reputation as a world-class destination.’
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