London's Rickshaws

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The Transport Committee has looked into the role that rickshaws have to play on the streets of London, especially in the West End where they have become a fixture of the streetscape over the past few years. Proposed legislation would give rickshaws, also known as pedicabs, a legal status and make them liable for using bus lanes, parking on double yellow lines, blocking pavements and other traffic contraventions. The report argues, however, that excluding rickshaws from bus lanes would force them out of the relative safety of the kerbside lane and as well as worsen hold-ups and congestion in normal traffic lanes. While the Committee agrees with the proposed legislation that the vehicles should be subject to parking rules, this reform should be delayed until dedicated ranks for rickshaws have been created where riders can more easily and legally compete for hire.