TAXI UNION RMT warned today that central London will be “jammed solid” with unlicensed and uninsured rickshaws as we head towards the London Olympics with the authorities refusing to lift a finger to clampdown on the unregulated trade.

RMT London Taxi Branch has a clear position of opposition to rickshaws in London and last month RMT parliamentary group convenor John McDonnell successfully objected to the TFL London Local Authorities Bill at Second Reading - specifically on the grounds that it would lead to the continued proliferation of unlicensed, unsafe rickshaws clogging up central London.

This was an important and significant victory in the battle by RMT Taxi Branch to end the London rickshaw trade all together.

Now the RMT is demanding urgent action to clear the rickshaws off the busy streets of the capital before there is a fatality.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“There is a very real danger that the whole of central London could be clogged up with unlicensed and unregulated rickshaws in the run up to the Olympics if the authorities don’t get an urgent grip on the situation.

“Alongside the threat to the livelihoods of our licensed taxi branch members there is also the threat of serious injury to unwary members of the public who have no idea that they are climbing into uninsured and unregistered vehicles on London’s busy streets. We have heard reports of rip-off fares of as much as £50 for a journey of a few hundred metres.

“Our taxi branch is demanding action now before this chaotic situation spirals out of control and we will be leading a campaign on the streets and in Parliament to raise public awareness of the rickshaw threat and to force the authorities to end this trade before we have a tragedy on our hands.”