Rogue West End pedicab operator charges two women £180 for a THREE-MINUTE ride from Chinatown to the Garrick Theatre before council tracks him down and demands a refund

• Two women had been told the short trip on Saturday night would cost them £18 
• But when they went to pay, rider added an extra zero onto the payment device
• After realising they had been ripped off, they told council enforcement officers 
• Officers tracked down pedicab operator and ordered him to return the money

A pedicab operator was caught after charging two women £180 for a three-minute journey in London’s West End – which was ten times more than they had agreed.

The women had been told that the short trip on Saturday night from an area of Chinatown to the nearby Garrick Theatre would cost them £18 – but when they went to pay, the rogue rider had added an extra zero onto the payment device.

After realising they had been ripped off when a notification pinged on their banking app showing that they had paid £180, the women approached a group of council enforcement officers and police on patrol in attempt to get their money back.

The women showed them a photo of the operator which they had taken during the journey, before the officers later stopped him by chance and then recognised him.

The officers ordered the rider to return the money to the women, who were visiting from the Midlands, and asked them to meet them so they could be refunded.  

Westminster City Council carried out a crackdown on pedicab operators over the weekend. A photo from their operation is pictured, but there is no suggestion this was a rogue operator

Pedicabs in London are treated in the same way as a horse and carriage under a Victorian law. Another unspecified photo from Westminster City Council’s operation is pictured

Westminster City Council had been carrying out action against the ‘unlicensed nuisance’ of pedicab operators last weekend from 9pm on Saturday until 4am.

The operation covered much of the West End including Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Soho, Chinatown, Mayfair, and Oxford Street as far as Marble Arch.

Nine riders were reported under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for playing loud music ‘likely to be an annoyance’, with cases prepared for possible prosecution. 

The council added that a further four riders were seen with speakers, but the noise was considered not loud enough to be an annoyance.

They also issued two written warnings to riders under the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 for blocking a public footway and playing music past 9pm.

Westminster City Council carried out action against the ‘unlicensed nuisance’ of pedicabs

The operation by Westminster Council covered much of the West End including Chinatown

Some 70 other pedicabs were moved on for blocking the pavement throughout the night.

Heather Acton, Westminster City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration, said: ‘Pedicab operators are an unlicensed nuisance that have plagued the West End for years, preying on tourists and annoying local residents.

‘There is little regulation around them and they are uninsured – there are serious safety concerns around them.

‘As with Saturday night’s operation the council works with the police when criminality is involved, but there are limitations on our powers.

‘With the West End beginning to recover from 18 months of restrictions and disruption, it’s time for the government to act and ensure that pedicab drivers undergo safety checks and pay road tax.

Nine riders were reported under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for playing loud music

Heather Acton, Westminster Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration, said pedicab operators are ‘an unlicensed nuisance that have plagued the West End for years’

‘Residents deserve respite from noise and our visitors should be safeguarded from vulnerable vehicles, sharp practice and scams.’ 

Pedicabs, also known as rickshaws, are treated in the same way as a horse and carriage under a Victorian law and therefore do not require regulation.

They can operate in London as Stage Carriages under Section 4 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, and can charge single and separate fares per passenger.

This also means anyone can drive a pedicab in London without a permit or licence – however a crackdown is on the way in the form of the Pedicabs (London) Bill.

This proposed law which has the Government’s support would put the pedicabs under a similar level of regulation as taxis and private hire vehicles, so Transport for London could regulate the charges and set a safe standard for the vehicles.

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