London rickshaw row: Mayor Boris Johnson wants more regulation

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has called for powers to regulate rickshaws after footage emerged of foreign tourists apparently being charged £206.

The YouTube footage showed the rickshaw driver admitting he had charged the family after taking them less than a mile from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch.

Two police officers are also shown telling the driver on Wednesday he was "ripping-off" tourists.

However, the driver is not thought to have broken any laws.

A spokesman for the Mayor's office said: "The mayor has serious concerns about the pedicab trade and is lobbying the government for new legislation that would give Transport for London (TfL) powers to regulate them, powers they don't legally possess at the moment.

The rickshaw driver said his prices were advertised on the side of his vehicle

• There are no regulations governing rickshaws and their drivers do not need a licence

• Drivers can charge any fare they want, provided it is verbally agreed with a customer at the start of the journey

• The Mayor of London is applying to the government for increased powers for Transport for London to regulate the pedicab trade

• The mayor has previously argued that rickshaws should be banned in London to help reduce congestion

• The London Pedicab Operators Association is a voluntary association whose members sign up to a code of conduct and code of practice

"This video only adds weight to his determination to make that happen. It is shocking and utterly disgraceful that pedicab drivers appear to be taking advantage of customers in this way."

The New West End Company, which represents businesses in Oxford Street and Regent Street, said the video meant it could "no longer ignore the damage unregulated rip-off transport is doing to London's global reputation".

It said it strongly supported regulation for rickshaws and said last week the government had indicated it was considering a draft bill to ensure that happened.

Google Maps calculates it would take seven minutes to drive the mile from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch

Who says what in the video

In the clip the family is clearly unhappy about the price the rickshaw driver has charged them for the ride. One of the party, a young boy who does not speak fluent English, stretches out his hand and asks for his money back saying: "give me, give me."

A passerby approaches when he hears the commotion and asks where the driver picked the family up from. The driver initially replies Piccadilly Circus, but later tells a police officer that it was from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch.

The passerby and says "that is wrong" but the driver restates the price as £206 and says "there's our price list", as he points to the side of his rickshaw. When challenged again he insists "look at our price list."

A police officer tells the rickshaw driver "You're ripping them off, aren't you? £206." The driver responds: "Look at the price list, they are four people."

A second police officer says: "£206 for 10 minutes? I suggest that is not very fair."

The driver responds: "We talked about the price and I said to their father [who was absent during filming] that it's £10 a minute."

The first police officer says: "You've given them a service, OK, they're foreign tourists, now you're blatantly ripping them off."

He continues: "You're blatantly ripping them off because you know that one minute in here [indicating to the rickshaw] is not £20 worth of money, you know that."

The dispute continued but the taxi driver filming it returned to his cab because customers had appeared.

The Met Police refused to comment, saying it was a civil matter.

Richard Long, a black cab driver who was parked in a nearby taxi rank, overheard the beginning of the dispute at about 15:00 BST on Wednesday and filmed it on his mobile phone.

He said he thought it was "outrageous" but he believed tourists being overcharged by rickshaw drivers "happens regularly".

Westminster City Council urged the government to regulate pedicabs and said: "We are truly shocked at the audacity shown in this video.

"We have long argued for greater regulation and licensing on rickshaws, not only to avoid clear rip offs like this, but to reduce congestion and improve safety on our streets."

Friedel Schroder, chairman of the London Pedicabs Operators Association (LPOA), said the operator did not belong to his organisation.

His members had signed up to a code of conduct. He also said LPOA had been warning the authorities of this rip-off practice for more than 15 years.