Rickshaws 'should be licensed like taxis'

London's rickshaws should be licensed in the same way as taxis, according to an influential report today.

The capital should keep its rickshaws - or pedicabs - said the London Assembly transport committee. But it called for registration to guarantee safety of the vehicles and training for their riders.

There is always going to be an "element of risk" in using a rickshaw but it is up to passengers to decide whether they use them, says the report.

Committee chairman Murad Qureshi said: "Rickshaws provide a welcome and colourful - albeit minor - addition to the streetscape of the West End, and that's how it should stay. I am acutely aware of the problems pedicabs do and could potentially bring but I do not think they should be banned outright."

The report found pedicabs are popular with tourists and useful for short journeys within the West End. It recommends a licensing system that would see operators provide training for riders and possess third-party insurance. There would be a specific agreement on what type of pedicab can be used and better management by operators so that if a rickshaw is driven dangerously, the driver can be tracked down and fined.

The report comes as MPs debate national legislation which would see pedicab riders or operators fined when road rules, such as using bus lanes and parking on double yellow lines, are breached.

However, the Assembly transport committee also recommended that the proposed legislation be amended to let pedicabs use bus lanes, on condition they pull over to allow buses to pass.

Chris Smallwood, trustee of the BugBugs rickshaw company, said: "We are delighted the authorities are taking us seriously and have taken quality time to get a balanced view."

Rickshaws have been operating in London for seven years and there are about 350 on the streets. But cabbies claim they are unsafe and that the riders "clog up the streets".

Scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory have said that "any impact with a motor vehicle" is likely to result in " serious injury to both passengers and rider".