According to the BBC there are an estimated 600 pedicabs in the West End of London and some claim they flout traffic and parking regulations. In a spirit of safety, London Pedicabs Operators Association (LPOA) has agreed to insure all its riders, provide training and regularly service their trikes.
As future members of the LPOA, we at Vert-i-GO Pedicabs Ltd have added our support for this initiative. For example, to establish a viable pedicab taxi service here in Sheffield three things are required. Firstly, it is necessary to establish a legal definition for pedicabs so that they can be added to existing parking and traffic legislation, for example, to make them liable for bus lane parking and other road traffic contraventions. Secondly, to establish a license scheme or any other regulatory function for pedicabs, and finally, a registration scheme is required which can allow pedicab drivers and operators to be identified should they contravene any such legislation,

Currently, pedicabs have been defined as:
“a cycle to seat one or more passengers…for the purpose of being made available with a driver for hire.” A pedicab business is one which owns, lets out and takes bookings for pedicabs. As it stands, the Bill would make pedicabs liable for using bus lanes, parking on double yellow lines and the blocking of pavements. This liability would rest with the operators, who have hired out the pedicabs, and not the riders themselves (unlike with private hire firms).

The license scheme Would:

• register all rider personal information (full name, address, age, next of kin, phone, email, medical statement, criminal record statement and some form of positive ID eg passport, drivers license)
• ensure that all drivers have have passed CTC Level 3 Cycle training and/or a written Driving Standards Agency test adapted for pedicab riders (by date to be agreed)
• ensure vehicles are safe, legal and roadworthy (including lights, safety belts) and are specifically designed for carrying passengers
• ensure that all vehicles and drivers can be identified as being part of an operation (name plates on pedicabs / ID tags for riders (timescale to be agreed)

The registration scheme would:

• make it illegal for unregistered pedicabs to ply for hire in Sheffield
• require pedicab operators to register their pedicabs with the Public Carriage Office, the London Pedicab Operators Association (LPOA) and the Local Authority, for a “reasonable fee” so that should a pedicab be involved in a contravention of road and traffic law, a fine could be levied against the operator
• require pedicab operators, as part of the registration scheme, to prove they held third party public liability insurance
• ensure operations are managed according to the Code of Practice for Pedicab Operators as laid out by the LPOA

If you have any comments and/or suggestions, please feel free to send us an email, we welcome your opinion.