Tomorrow, Conservative MP Paul Scully will lead a debate in the House of Commons on his proposal to regulate pedicabs in London and we strongly support his new bill.
The Private Member’s Bill (https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/pedicabslondon.html) is up for its second reading and your West End Matters team of Timothy Barnes, Jonathan Glanz and Hillary Su, have written (see a copy of the letter here) to Mr Scully offering their support and underlining the concerns of many residents of Soho, Mayfair, Fitzrovia and Marylebone who regularly face the problems that pedicabs cause.
Residents associations and other local groups across the ward have raised this issue with us repeatedly, as have many individual residents when we have had a chance to speak with them in person or on the phone. Key issues they have highlighted include pedicabs being unsafe, blocking pavements, slowing traffic, charging outrageous prices and playing loud music into the early hours.
Timothy Barnes said, “As we said in our letter to Paul Scully MP, these issues add up to a social menace that must be addressed. His bill is the best way to do that and combines clear areas for regulation by TfL with mechanisms for enforcement. If the opposition support it, we should be able to get rid of the worst aspects of the pedicab menace for good.”
Cllr Jonathan Glanz has led on previous work to curb the worst of the problems, “We have worked with the police and other agencies to attempt to minimise the disruption and directed resources from ward budgets to help but the problem has continued and we now need more powers to enable us to tackle the issues that plague us locally.”
Hillary Su added, “Whatever happens with the bill, we will keep up the pressure to see regulation of pedicabs introduced. Residents have a right to expect that this problem will be addressed.”
