Officers speak to pedicab operator
(Picture: Westminster Council )Five pedicab operators have been issued with record fines following an investigation by Westminster Council.
In conjunction with the Met Police, the operators were charged a total of £5,682 as the council ramps up pressure on the drivers who mass in London’s West End.
The five drivers were issued individual fines and costs ranging between £684-2,019 and are the largest the council has issued since the investigation began.
Councillor Aicha Less, deputy leader, cabinet leader for communities and public protection said: “Pedicabs are an unlicensed nuisance and drivers regularly block pavements, play loud music, and charge extortionate fares.
“We want people visiting the West End to have fun and to be safe, and the council will continue to work with the police to take action against antisocial pedicab drivers.
“I’m pleased that our enforcement action has resulted in these drivers being issued with record fines.”
Of the five who were issued fines, one was also the same operator who was ordered to repay the £180 he charged two individuals for a three-minute journey in February, 2022.
In this latest action, he was issued a £1,018 fine for playing loud music and causing annoyance.
Amid increasing pressure to crack down on the pesky operators, 50 pedicab drivers have been reported for prosecutions over the last year.
In just one night of patrols by Met Police officers in February, 70 pedicabs were moved for blocking and obstructing the pavement.
Businesses have long called for a crack down on pedicab and rickshaw drivers and in May, the Government included provisions for new licensing laws in the Queen’s Speech.
But Ms Aiken, the MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, acknowledged that any new regulations are unlikely to be in effect until next year.
“I hope it will be in place for next summer,” she said. “It can take a year for these things to be up and running. I will obviously discuss with Grant if there’s any other way of bringing it forward.”
