TfL to consult on pedicabs regulation in early 2025

Transport for London (TfL) has said it hopes to consult on new pedicab regulations by early 2025, as calls grow for action to tackle rogue operators in central London.

In April TfL was granted additional powers by the government to regulate pedicabs, which have become associated with rip-off prices for tourists and a noise nuisance for local residents.

However, many pedicab operators have welcomed regulation as it will raise standards and give credibility to reputable providers of a greener form of transport.

Last November, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) went undercover to investigate the issue, and was asked for between £20 and £50 for a five-to-10-minute ride.

Westminster City Council, the governing body for the majority of the pedicab hotspots, has previously said it is aware of passengers being charged close to £500 for 10-minute trips across the West End.

Since the Pedicabs (London) Act received its Royal Assent in April, TfL has little to show for its new powers. Under the Act, TfL is able to regulate fares and improve safety standards, bringing pedicabs into line with other forms of transport.

Former Conservative MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, Nickie Aiken, who stepped down before the recent election, was key to the law making its way through Parliament.

She told ITV News last month it is widely known tourists are getting ripped off by pedicab drivers, and that she does “not believe the excuses that TfL are making” regarding the lack of action to-date.

Earlier this week, the new Labour MP for the Two Cities, Rachel Blake, wrote to the deputy mayor for transport, Seb Dance, querying what progress had been made.

“The new law was enacted in April and had been a long time coming. I would therefore have expected TfL to have draft regulations ready for publication and public consultation, but four months later nothing has been forthcoming,” she wrote.

“It is so important that momentum on this issue is not lost and that regulations are enacted as soon as possible. As I’m sure you will agree, publishing draft regulations as early as possible would support TfL’s objectives and serve Londoners.”

Blake continued to request the timeline that TfL is working to for publishing regulations, and when it intends on bringing them into force.

“I would appreciate it if we could work together to identify ways to expedite this process wherever possible so that the experience of living, working and visiting central London can be vastly improved.”

Speaking to the LDRS, Blake said: “Residents across the Cities of London and Westminster know the impact of unregulated pedicabs all too well — noise nuisance, anti-social behaviour and scamming of tourists. This is all bad for our capital city.

“The Pedicabs Bill was a long time coming after years of campaigning. Now we need to move forward and deliver with these regulations. It’s time to deliver now.”

A TfL spokesperson said: “Regulation of pedicabs has been a longstanding goal of ours and we’re really pleased to now have the powers to do this under the Pedicabs (London) Act 2024. It is important that any new regulations are robust and effective in keeping passengers safe.

“We are engaging with the pedicab industry and other interested parties to help us shape proposals ahead of a public consultation, including carrying out an impact assessment. Once these proposals are developed, we will launch a public consultation and we hope to do so by early 2025. Feedback from our consultation will help shape these important new regulations and will enable us to confirm a timetable for their introduction.”

In 2022, BBC News reported that many pedicab operators would welcome regulation.

Pedal Me owner Ben Knowles, who runs a fleet of pedicabs that transports cargo and people, told the BBC: “[Pedicabs] have been undermined by the business models under which they’re run and by the lack of regulation.

“So I’m really excited to see this regulation coming in because I think it might help boost standards across the industry and turn it into the reputable, useful service it always should have been.”

Additional reporting by Linus Rees.