The Londoner said he was conned out of £500 by a pedophile driver who distracted him as he went to pay for a ten-minute journey at the rider card machine. The passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was charged the extortionate amount after a short journey from Mayfair to Soho on July 29. He told The Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’d had a few drinks and I should have realized it, but I blindly put my card in the machine. “He was good at what he did.” He added: “It’s £500. I’m not going to let it go. He should be fined £5,000 and have the child taken away from him,” he said.
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“They obviously have to be regulated like taxis and they have to be licensed. At the end of the day, these guys could be anybody.” It comes after record five pedicab operators were fined following an investigation by Westminster Council. Working with the Met Police, operators have been charged a total of £5,682 as the council steps up the pressure on drivers congregating in London’s West End. The five drivers were issued individual fines and costs ranging from £684-£2,019 and are the biggest issued by the council since the investigation began. Councilor Aicha Less, deputy leader, cabinet leader for communities and public protection, said: “Holidays are an unlicensed nuisance and drivers regularly block pavements, play loud music and charge extortionate tickets. “We want people visiting the West End to have fun and be safe, and the council will continue to work with the police to crack down on anti-social drivers with children.
