In a statement when the consultation opened at the end of January, Helen Chapman, TfL's director of licensing and regulation, said: “Pedicabs are the only form of unregulated public transport in London and have an impact on the safety of the capital's road network, as well as customers being charged well-documented rip-off fares, so we're pleased to be able to launch this consultation.
TfL has included a section dedicated to noise in its consultation, which asks Londoners whether controls should be introduced “to prevent pedicabs playing music or other audio at certain levels or at certain times of day (or both)” or to prevent audio output “at all times”.
Pedicabs must be stopped from blaring loud music through the West End, the area’s MP has warned, as Transport for London (TfL) prepares to use new powers to regulate the rickshaws.
In a message to TfL this week, Rachel Blake, Labour MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, has urged them specifically to ban pedicabs’ use of “amplified sound”.
Following the passing of the Pedicabs (London) Act in June last year, which gave TfL legal powers over the bikes, the organisation is now consulting with Londoners on exactly what rules it should put in place.
