London - A bicycle rickshaw driver tried to charge a Dutch tourist £600 (about R13 000) for a 30-minute journey through central London.
The customer’s disbelief was caught on video by a shopper outside Selfridges on Oxford Street last Friday.
The bearded driver told the passenger and his companion that the ride cost £10 per minute per person, to which the Dutchman replied: “How do you charge £600 for half an hour?” He threatened to go to the police, saying “It’s not legal”, to which the driver claimed that they had “made an agreement” and pointed to what appeared to be a price list in the rickshaw.
The video, which was posted on YouTube, ends before it reveals whether or not the tourist paid up.
It is the latest example of extortionate pricing by rickshaw drivers and London Mayor Boris Johnson’s office said it had “serious concerns” about lax regulation of the trade. It said Mr Johnson is lobbying the British government for regulatory powers.
In July, a Russian driver tried to justify charging £206 for a one-mile ride by saying uphill journeys cost ten times his normal £1-a-minute fee.
Juris Dzjabovic, 22, ended up accepting £40 after being challenged by a passer-by, two police officers and a taxi driver.
Daily Mail