Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State at Department for Transport, has promised to introduce licensing legislation for pedicabs.

Giving evidence to the Transport Committee and responding to a question by Ben Bradshaw MP on the licensing, regulation and safety of pedicabs, Mr Shapps said:

"Excellent question. Yes, I am. We will be introducing in the next Session a law to control what I think is the wild west of pedicabs or rickshaws, particularly in London where there isn't legislation that accurately enables any type of proper licensing or control. I think it is high time. I know Parliament has expressed an interest, including through a series of Back-Bench Bills that, for one reason or another, or perhaps one person, have not proceeded through Parliament. We will do that on Government time in the transport Bill."

A move welcomed by the industry 

Commenting on the government's plans, London Pedicab Operators Association chair Friedel Schroder said: "Looking back at it now I can't believe it's taken this long.

"It's meant there's been a lot more negative press, evolved from just the fact individuals who should never be on these units are just free to operate."

Pedal Me owner Ben Knowles, who runs a fleet of pedicabs that pick up goods and people, said:

"They [pedicabs] have been undermined by the business models under which they're run and by the lack of regulation.

"So I'm really excited to see this regulation coming in because I think it might help boost standards across the industry and turn it into the reputable, useful service it always should have been."