Shameless rickshaw drivers are using the walls of Buckingham Palace as a public toilet – making a mockery of a planned clampdown on the three-wheeled menaces.
The Daily Mail has discovered that weary operators of the pedal-powered vehicles have set up a makeshift camp in the shadow of the iconic landmark, which has been the official London residence of the monarch since 1837.
Over the course of the last three weeks, we found that the drivers, who are largely migrants of Eastern European origin, have been regularly using a lay-by next to the palace to doss down for the night.
The drivers, up to ten at a time, have been sleeping under blankets across the seats of their vehicles and frequently use nearby bushes along the western perimeter wall of Buckingham Palace Gardens to relieve themselves.
One shocked commuter, who regularly drives past the scene at 6am on his way to work, said of the squalid arrangements: ‘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.
The Daily Mail has discovered that weary operators of the pedal-powered vehicles have set up a makeshift camp in the shadow of the Palace
The drivers, up to ten at a time, have been sleeping under blankets in their vehicles
They frequently use nearby bushes along the western perimeter wall of Buckingham Palace Gardens to relieve themselves
‘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 with security and everything this wouldn’t be allowed to happen. It’s just another example of how broken Britain is.’
Our findings come after London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan launched a crackdown on rogue rickshaw drivers who charge extortionate fares while blasting loud music from their machines and create havoc with their erratic driving.
The mayor pledged to introduce new regulations in the capital to eliminate rip-off charges, traffic jams and anti-social behaviour.
MPs have previously heard how unregulated rickshaws have turned parts of London into the ‘Wild West’, with customers charged hundreds of pounds for journeys of less than ten minutes.
In one case cited in the Commons, a tourist was charged more than £450 for a seven-minute journey with their two children that took them little more than a mile.
The drivers’ lay-by – which is a designated coach pick-up point regulated by Transport for London (TfL) – is situated in Grosvenor Place – a busy thoroughfare between Hyde Park Corner and Victoria Station.
It is a popular spot for rickshaw drivers who line up along the pavement during summer months outside the Buckingham Palace exit where visitors emerge after official tours.
Although it is a designated red route, meaning rickshaws and other vehicles are not allowed to park there, the lay-by has proved to be a handy spot for riders to catch a few hours sleep – often until around 9am.
A local businessman said: ‘There can be up to ten of them at a time lined up here. They use the lay-by regularly – not every night, it seems to depend on when they finish.
‘If it’s late, instead of going to bed they doss down in their rickshaws. They take their shoes off, pull a blanket over themselves and get a few hours kip before heading off straight to work again in the morning.’
When the Daily Mail visited the site on one occasion, 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 huddled 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 to 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 once the officers had left.
Rickshaws, known officially as pedicabs, have been a feature of London’s streets since the early 1990s.
Operators insist they offer a ‘fun, eco-friendly, unique and memorable experience’ which they say is ‘perfect for tourists, couples, families and partygoers’.
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 by TfL 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 road 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 maximum base fare of up to £5, plus a per-minute rate of up to £1 per minute for the first passenger, so a five-minute trip for one would be priced at £10. A further £3 can be added to the charge for each additional passenger.
These garishly decorated pedicabs have been a feature of London’s streets since the 1990s
A pedicab driver caught napping in the drivers’ lay-by
One pedicab operator’s price list showed customers are still being charged wildly inflated fees compared with the planned official cap. A 60-minute ride would cost an astonishing £480
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 licence will cost £114 and a vehicle licence £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.
Operators insist they offer a ‘fun, eco-friendly, unique and memorable experience’
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on our findings, with a spokesperson 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.’
