TfL is launching a public consultation on London’s pedicabs next year

London’s pedicabs, love them or hate them, it’s certainly entertaining to see a hot pink, furry rickshaw whirl past you blasting ‘Mamma Mia’ in Covent Garden. They may be tourist traps, but the chaotic vehicles are as just a much a part of London as red double-deckers and overpriced pints. However, the future of London pedicabs is up in the air, as TfL is to open a consultation on their regulations early next year.

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A new bill which regulates pedicabs in London, stopping tourists from being ripped off by them and allowing authorities to crack down on rogue operators, has already been passed, getting approval from parliament back in April. However, the law needs to have a public consultation before official rules come in for the drivers. 

TfL’s Commissioner Andy Lord has just confirmed in a letter to the Leader of Westminster Council that the transport authority will publish the planned rules for public consultation early in the New Year. He said that a delay in coming up with the new rules for drivers was due to ensuring that they will be effective for years to come, which takes time to develop.

Once they come into effect, TfL will have the power to issue fines of up to £2,500 on pedicab operators who break the rules and even seize their pedicabs if necessary. TfL will also be able to regulate the fares charged by the pedicab operators, much as they already do for black taxi cabs, and prevent the operators from cluttering up pavements outside hotspots.

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