Pedicab drivers could be forced to obtain a Hackney Carriage licence in Suffolk district

Pedicabs in Waveney, Suffolk, could see all drivers forced to obtain a Hackney Carriage Driving Licence if the licensing committee agree on a new policy which is to take place on April 4. The decision, if passed, would mean all drivers of motorised and pedal-powered pedicabs would have to go through the same criminal records checks as taxi drivers, and they would also have to hold a full drivers licence and a DVLA standards medical certificate. The new policy would also see drivers restricted to predetermined routes which will be agreed with by the town council. According to a report in the Lowestoft Journal , Suffolk Police would welcome the changes, which would allow them to carry out all the relevant checks on all drivers. A big concern for most who oppose the operations of pedicabs in cities across the UK is their ability to pick up passengers from anywhere including tourist hotspots and charge whatever fare they wish. The new regulations could see some order introduced to an ever increasing issue with pedicabs operating in cities and could prompt other councils and regulators to take a closer look at setting some harder guidelines for all pedicabs to abide by.