UK: Rickshaws under scrutiny for overcharging customers

A Central London rickshaw driver has brought the unconventional mode of transport on the city's streets under scrutiny, after overcharging a family for a ride from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch.

In a YouTube video that has gone viral, the rickshaw driver allegedly charges a foreign family some £260 for using the transport for less than a mile.

The driver can also be seen being told off by two police officers, who warned him that he is "ripping off" tourists.

Since there's no legal provision on the amounts a rickshaw driver can charge per mile, London Mayor Boris Johnson has called for rickshaws to be regulated following the incident.

"The mayor has serious concerns about the pedicab trade and is lobbying the government for new legislation that would give Transport for London (TfL) powers to regulate them, powers they don't legally possess at the moment," said a spokesman for the Mayor's office, reported BBC News.

"This video only adds weight to his determination to make that happen. It is shocking and utterly disgraceful that pedicab drivers appear to be taking advantage of customers in this way."

The Westminster Council said in a statement, reported ITV News: "We are truly shocked at the audacity shown in this video. We have long argued for greater regulation and licensing on rickshaws, not only to avoid clear rip offs like this, but to reduce congestion and improve safety on our streets.

"All too often we see rickshaws riding onto pavements through crowds of pedestrians or blocking off major roads like Regent Street. It has to stop and the Government has to act to give London more power to regulate this trade."