'Nuisance' pedicab drivers who play loud music or swear could face £1,000 fines

Ruth Bloomfield1 April 2016

Pedicab drivers who shout, swear, play loud music or cause a nuisance in a swathe of central London could face fines of up to £1,000 in a new crackdown on the trade.

Camden Council is next week expected to agree to begin using ASBO powers to control rogue drivers across King’s Cross, Holborn, Covent Garden and Bloomsbury.

“There are significant and recurring community concerns around anti-social behaviour associated with pedicabs in Camden,” said Rachel Stopard, the council’s environment chief, in a report which will be considered by Camden’s cabinet on Wednesday.

“These generally relate to disturbance late at night or in the early hours of the morning particularly in regards to noise nuisance.

“This includes issues around the use of amplified music by pedicab operators, noise generated when touting for business, disturbance caused by people when using pedicabs, dangerous riding, and verbal abuse and swearing from operators and customers.”

A residents’ survey carried out by the council found that 69 per cent of the borough’s residents had been bothered by pedicabs – also known as rickshaws - and almost three quarters wanted the council to use ASBO legislation against drivers.

Drivers found causing a nuisance whilst plying their trade would either be given a £100 fixed penalty fine, or could be prosecuted with a maximum fine of £1,000.

As well as disturbing residents, some rickshaw drivers rip off or endanger their passengers.

Earlier this year 53-year-old Jennifer Houston broke her leg after she and her husband Andrew were thrown from an erratically driven pedicab they had picked up outside Covent Garden station.

The couple, from Coventry, had been enjoying a weekend sightseeing in London and thought a ride in a rickshaw would be fun.

And over Christmas the Standard revealed how a Dutch tourist was charged £600 for a half hour ride in a rickshaw.

Westminster Council has also raised concerns about pedicabs, and wants the Government to regulate the industry.

Mayor Boris Johnson is also concerned and wants Transport for London to be given powers to regulate pedicabs, claiming they cause traffic jams and could be unsafe for passengers.

The Metropolitan Police has also been dragged into the problem, regularly arresting drivers who run red lights or obstruct pavements.

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