Licensed taxi drivers want rickshaws banned…

peddler | 25.02.2004 17:02 | Ecology | London

From www.ltda.co.uk:

BAN! DON'T LICENSE
As unbelievable as it seems, in London in the 21st Century there is a major problem with Rickshaws. Whilst the third world is doing all it can to lose the last of these degrading pedal powered contraptions, some unscrupulous operators are clogging up the streets of the Metropolis with the same slow, traffic halting bikes.

What started out as harmless fun pedalling the odd tourist around the pedestrianised confines of Covent Garden has turned into a nightmare. The Rickshaws cause massive congestion as London’s traffic queues up behind them as they travel at little more than walking pace on major roads.
They congregate in large numbers outside theatres, shops and restaurants blocking the entrances and exits as well as the pavements outside, forcing pedestrians to negotiate the traffic as they walk in the road.
The Rickshaw riders are forced to charge exorbitant sums in order to recoup the high rental fees the operator’s charge for the bikes. Anything up to £12 pound a mile is normal, whilst £30 per mile is not unusual.
As a result of the media attention into all the problems associated with the Rickshaws and serious concerns over their safety the Rickshaw operators are pushing for a simple licensing system that would allow them to continue working unhindered.
London’s taxi drivers along with bus operators and drivers have to contend with the traffic problems and congestion the Rickshaws cause and feel that the only way forward is to ‘Ban! Don’t License’
The LTDA are calling on Westminster Council and the Greater London Authority to bring a halt to London’s further decline into third world status and seek statutory powers to ban Rickshaws from the streets.

peddler

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

same in Oxford

25.02.2004 19:51

The same situation happened in Oxford -a few years ago there was a rickshaw company & the Labour controlled council was best buddies with the taxi firm bosses. Even though the rickshaws were only running tourists around during the summer they were landed with ridiculous licensing restrictions & expected to pay the same licence fees as taxis
Result - no rickshaws & more taxis than ever often driven by idiots with no regard for other road users (rumour are rife that many don't even have real driving licences)

Anyone in London who can put pressure on licencing authority should do whatever they can. Bloody cabbies think they own the roads in London even more than they do elsewhere

gnome

i would love

26.02.2004 19:02

to see a completely motorised traffic-free central london (apart from, say buses) during the daytime.

people could walk, cycle, take the tube and generally have a much nicer experience.
cabbies are whinging gits who are paid too much for blocking up the city, stopping wherever they damn well feel like and generally assuming that the world owes them a living.

the main thing they fear is that they could never make the transition to rickshaws as most of them are far too old and fat.

balls to em.

bubba

Cab drivers need to grow up

26.03.2004 16:29

I think the rickshaws in London it's a great idea, there is nothing as friendy and fun in the west end. Every time me and my mates go out for a drink they always make our night, adding that little bit fun at the same time you are been driven to your destination. They know evething about bars and clubs and the prices start as little as £3.00

I believe black cab drivers need to open their mind to an eviromental frienly option and just leave them alone.

Mario Cortes

Mario Cortes
mail e-mail: mario2901@starmedia.com

shut it!

30.03.2004 00:40

I work as a rickshaw rider in centrasl London. Traffic in central moves very slow regardless of rickshaws. When riding you are always at the same speed, because we may be slower than a car, but we can nip in and out where cars are too big to fit. Their polution is disgusting. If everyone who has taken a rickshaw got a cab then town would be ALOT filthier. We are not taking the cabs business anyway.. we are for drunk people or tourists to have fun in the open air... cabs are for people who need to be going further than to the next bar 7 minutes away.
I make a good living by having fun and providing a clean service to people who want to have a good time.
Traffic probles have been in London for years, this is the solution.. not the cause... wake up.
can't believe indymedia have such as conservative and closeed minded view. Looks like some people arn't as free thinking and open as they say

Steve

I really love Rickshaws

07.07.2004 16:42

hello everyboby.................!!!

i was a rickshaw rider 2 years ago...i did the hard and happy work for a year and a half
and i feel now that i was doing a very nice job, the people love it not also the tourist english people are our best custumers, they dont know very well the west end specially if is soho the place wich they are looking for, sometimes this kind of places could be a little bit dangerous late at night, and when they go out of the clubs very drunks the riders are waiting for them to get them safety anywhere they wanted, sometimes HOME if tis not to far away. im back to my country at the moment working in an oficce like a normal person but i was a rider in london and the fisrt thing i will do if i have the chance to go back is to take any bike and have the best ride ever...... take the rickshaws fellows..... its the best way to get that you want.....anythig you need you can be sure we know it.............

andres soler
mail e-mail: asoler@fp.skandia.com.co

Ripped Of!

23.08.2004 07:30

My sister and her husband are visiting from the states. In covent Garden on Friday they were charged £8 each to travel to Leicester Square in a rickshaw. Thats £16 for a journey of about 500 yards!

The rickshaws are ripping off unsuspecting tourists and should be properly licensed or banned

Steve Williams

Rickshaw to end in London

03.02.2005 00:54

I reckon with all these new rules and restrictions that will come into place,all the fun once had( i've had lots of fun) will start to fade. The largest company Bugbugs, are already trying to standardise all their pedicabs and the fast light mainstreets have all been sold off. However i still reckon for the moment Rickshaws are a great way to get around, they're prefectly safe and enviromental, the cost are good,my boyfriend only charged £30 for a ride from covent garden to the oval! The LTDA are petty and totally ridicolus, esp. with that video of a rickshaw colliding head on with a cab,would a cab crumple and people get hurt if a cab crashed at 30mph with a bus?hell yes! i've many friends who are rickshaw riders and ive heard many cab drivers are not only verbally abusive, but frequently trying to cut them up on the road, bad mouthing them to their customers. London cab drivers are the bullies of the playground, targeting the new kid, and i'm fed up with it, with their arrogrant and obnoxious behaviour. Also there is apparantly a new law, that will allow you to haggle with Black cab drivers, but apparantly, head of the LTDA reckons will the public would not want to haggle for lower prices. The thing is, who really is ripping off their customers, both rickshaws and cabs are supposed to pay per distance, BUT its cab drivers who get paid for the time you spend in traffic lights.

I love pedicabs

10.02.2005 16:28

I love pedicabs and the way how the taxi drivers of London are fighting agains it, is not the right and ethical way.

Check the www.rickshawforum.com

Gerald
mail e-mail: info@rickshawforum.com
Homepage: http://www.rickshawforum.com

enough is enough

13.12.2008 20:03

I am a rickshaw driver of two years I stumbled on this trade by accident and subsequently fell in love with rickshaws and what they represent to london.
firstly I would like to point out what conjestion really is and the problems it creates and from experience the three main causes of conjestion are bendy buses semi illegal mini cabs who really don't have any regard for us british they are just here for our money and if you don't believe just stand outside one of lapdancing clubs and see where one of these lisenced pimps offer to take you,mabe some believe that trafficing prostitutes is fine but to me its a shame to london ,and the third are black cabs,although they have a lisence to stop where they want mixed with mini cab pimp men and the bendy buses london usually grinds to a halt by seven.
I am a british man and proud of it that's why
I pay taxes I love this country my granfather fought for our generation so we could trade here
where I was born,but jobs are so hard to get
these days most companies prefer to employ non british mabe its because they are prepared to work for less than us which is not fair,so I find myselve trading as a rickshaw driver and they speak of getting us banned I say we ban mini cab pimps from raping us with thier greedy
monkey business,ban the bendy buses and have a look at what the black cabs are doing and tighten up their rules or lack of them and mabe take a look at how much smog they have
produced this last few decades how many people have been killed in road accidents personaly I believe the ringleadrs of their tfl should be locked up for their stupidy and lack of vision and I believe its more about they know that we are right and represent something bigger than all of them .I have lost count of how many of them have told me to go home and learn how speak english,I am blooming english and my answer especially to the mini cab pimps is for them to go home and trade in there home countries and let us honest traders alone.
Lee

lee chin
mail e-mail: kookingongas@hotmail.co.uk