Rip-Off Rickshaw Drivers Forced to Sleep Rough in Their Cabs

Brazen rickshaw drivers are reportedly using the walls and surrounding bushes of Buckingham Palace as an outdoor toilet, underscoring the challenge facing a planned crackdown on the capital’s three-wheeled vehicles.

Our News Outlet has found that tired operators of the pedal-powered vehicles have created a makeshift camp in the shadow of the landmark, which has served as the monarch’s official London residence since 1837.

During three weeks of observations, the drivers—many of whom are migrants of Eastern European origin—were seen regularly using a lay-by beside the palace to sleep overnight.

As many as ten drivers at a time have been sleeping beneath blankets stretched across the seats of their vehicles. When they wake, they frequently use bushes beside the western perimeter wall of Buckingham Palace Gardens to relieve themselves.

One commuter who passes the scene at around 6am on the way to work said the squalid setup had become a familiar sight: “It’s quite a common sight at that time of the morning—and nobody seems to care or do anything about it.

“Buckingham Palace may be a global symbol of the British monarchy, the focus of national and royal celebrations and one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks, but these people aren’t interested in any of that.”

“As far as they’re concerned, they’ve found a convenient spot where nobody bothers them, and they’re making the most of it.

“You’d think that, with security and everything, this wouldn’t be allowed to happen. It’s just another example of how broken Britain is.”

The findings come after Sir Sadiq Khan launched a crackdown on rogue rickshaw operators accused of charging excessive fares, blasting loud music and causing disruption through erratic driving.

The London mayor has pledged to introduce new rules aimed at tackling rip-off charges, congestion and anti-social behaviour across the capital.

MPs have previously been told that unregulated rickshaws have turned parts of London into the “Wild West”, with passengers sometimes charged hundreds of pounds for journeys lasting less than ten minutes.

One case raised in the Commons involved a tourist who was charged more than £450 for a seven-minute trip with two children. The journey covered little more than a mile.

The lay-by used by the drivers is a designated coach pick-up point regulated by Transport for London (TfL). It sits on Grosvenor Place, a busy route linking Hyde Park Corner with Victoria Station.

The location is popular with rickshaw drivers, who line the pavement during the summer outside the exit used by visitors leaving Buckingham Palace after official tours.

Despite being on a designated red route—where rickshaws and other vehicles are prohibited from parking—the lay-by has become a convenient place for drivers to sleep, often until about 9am.

A local businessman said: “There can be up to ten of them lined up here at a time. They use the lay-by regularly, although it doesn’t seem to be every night—it depends on when they finish.

“If it’s late, instead of going to bed they sleep in their rickshaws. They take off their shoes, pull a blanket over themselves and get a few hours’ rest before heading straight back to work in the morning.”

On one occasion Our News Outlet visited the site, we found two drivers sleeping in their vehicles, one of whom had neatly placed his trainers on the road under his cab.

On another visit, there were two drivers huddling up together in one cab. One of the men appeared to be doubling up as a Deliveroo driver as his thermal delivery bag had been left on the road alongside the vehicle.

At one point, a man who was sleeping in a second vehicle woke up shortly after 6am, got out of his rickshaw and strolled over towards bushes next to the palace wall.

After relieving himself, he returned to his rickshaw and went back to sleep.

When approached, none of the drivers wanted to discuss their temporary living arrangements – responding either with rude gestures or insisting they were unable to speak English.

None of the men parked in the lay-by faced official scrutiny during our visits, although at one point police approached a group of drivers parked up in nearby Chester Street and asked them to move on. A number of them returned shortly after the officers had left. 

Rickshaws, known officially as pedicabs, have been a feature of London’s streets since the early 90s.

Operators insist they offer a ‘fun, eco-friendly, unique and memorable experience’ which they say is ‘perfect for tourists, couples, families and partygoers’.

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Critics say the often garishly decorated vehicles have clogged up London’s streets for more than 30 years, operating in a ‘dangerous and unregulated way’ through a loophole in the law.

But they are about to become regulated for the first time under new measures announced in February.

Under the crackdown, drivers will need to apply for licences for themselves and their vehicles and face enhanced police record checks.

They must also meet English language requirements, pass a safety test and hold at least a driving theory test certificate.

Under the new rules, fare caps will be introduced at the end of this month which will limit charges to a base fare of £5 plus £1 per minute, so that a five-minute trip for one would be priced at £10.

A further £3 can be added to the charge for each additional passenger.

Yet we found precious little evidence of operators attempting to get ahead of the rules.

While the drivers were snoozing away, we discovered one operator’s official price list showed customers are still being charged wildly inflated fees for journeys compared with the official cap being planned.

Customers can expect to pay fees of up to £10 per person per minute – meaning a 15-minute journey for one person would cost £150 – far in excess of the £20 it would cost under the proposed plans.

As well as banning external audio, new standards will require pedicabs to be road legal, fitted with a numberplate and regularly checked for safety and roadworthiness.

Operators will be required to have premises in London and carry out fire risk assessments and basic staff DBS checks.

A driver’s license will cost £114 and a vehicle license £100, with both running for a year.

TfL said the fares had been set to ensure that pedicabs could still offer an income that exceeded the London living wage and would be kept under review.

During his announcement of the clampdown, Sir Sadiq said: ‘After years of campaigning, I’m pleased that TfL will be regulating pedicabs across the capital to ensure they meet proper operational standards.

‘Pedicabs should be a fun way to explore London, but too often people face rip-off fares, blaring music and unsafe behaviour.

‘We’re bringing in these new rules so that both customers and drivers can benefit from an industry that is more safe, reliable and professional.

‘This will play an important role in supporting our vital night-time economy and enabling more people to enjoy all that our great city has to offer as we continue building a safer, fairer, greener London for everyone.’

During his time as mayor, Boris Johnson pressed for the right to regulate rickshaws, without success.

He said in 2012 that they were a menace to safety and a cause of night-time traffic jams.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on our findings with a spokesman adding that they did not discuss security matters.

Councillor Paul Swaddle, leader of Westminster City Council said: ‘Nobody should be sleeping in a coach bay or using the walls of Buckingham Palace as a public toilet.

‘Conservatives fought for years to get pedicabs regulated, and with licensing becoming mandatory on October 30, we expect the Mayor and TfL to enforce it robustly from day one.

‘Rogue operators must face real consequences, and residents and visitors deserve a Westminster that is clean, safe and respectful of its most iconic landmarks.’