Lord Storey
Liberal Democrat Lords Principal Spokesperson for Education:
Asked.
Her Majesty’s Government what are the health and safety requirements for operators?
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Transport) (Jointly with the Home Office):
Replied.
In England and Wales, excluding London, rickshaws (in the form of pedal-powered vehicles for carrying passengers, often also referred to as pedicabs) are regulated as taxis.
They are therefore required to meet a local licensing authority’s taxi licensing conditions and any applicable byelaws. Under the different legislation that applies to London, they fall outside the scope of taxi regulation. The police have some limited powers to address inappropriate behaviour such as obstructing footways or driving in a reckless manner. The Government has recently announced its intention to introduce legislation to enable Transport for London to regulate pedicabs in London.
