US tourist says London rickshaw ride ended with a £52 demand and a scramble for her phone as fare caps near
A US tourist says a London rickshaw driver demanded £52 for five minutes as new pedicab fare caps prepare to take effect.
A tourist from Florida says a short rickshaw trip in London turned into a frightening encounter involving a surprise fare demand and repeated requests for her phone. Her account comes just before new pedicab fare caps are due to take effect across the capital at the end of the month.
A five-minute trip that left her running back to her hotel
Heather Ford, 39, says she was targeted by three rickshaw drivers in London last Thursday after seeing Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty's Theatre. Ford, a mother of two from Tampa, Florida, was on her first solo trip abroad and said she had carefully prepared for it, even buying a strap for her phone to make theft harder.
She says she agreed to a rickshaw ride that was supposed to take about five minutes to The Clermont Hotel. According to Ford, the driver mentioned the hotel while speaking on the phone, but when they reached the area and she pointed it out, he carried on past it, went by the train station and stopped at a small side-walk instead.
That is when, she says, he told her the fare was £52 and demanded £40 in cash, with the rest to be paid by card. Ford says another man then arrived on a bike and asked to use her phone to take pictures. A third man approached as well, and she says both he and the driver also pushed her to hand over the device. When she refused, one of them asked for her bank card so he could make the payment himself, she said.
Ford says she shouted, threw a £10 note at the driver and ran off. Back at her hotel, she says a receptionist told her tourists are regularly targeted by rickshaw riders near Charing Cross. Ford later said she was shaking and vomited in the bathroom, and that the experience left her feeling unsafe during what had been a long-planned trip she described as the opportunity of a lifetime.
What changes for London pedicabs, and when
Ford's experience lands as London continues tightening the rules around pedicabs, which have become known for very high fares. Last year, one passenger was charged £450 for a seven-minute trip.
Months ago, Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a crackdown aimed at reducing extreme prices, traffic problems and anti-social behaviour. Under Transport for London rules brought in in February, drivers must pay for a licence, pass a safety test and hold at least a driving theory test certificate before they can charge for rides.
The next change comes at the end of this month, when fare caps are due to start. Under those limits, the maximum charge will be a base fare of up to £5, plus up to £1 per minute for the first passenger. That would put a five-minute ride for one person at £10. Up to £3 more can be added for each extra passenger.
Khan said the goal is to bring proper operating standards to pedicabs and make the service safer, more reliable and more professional for both customers and drivers.
