A LEADING city councillor has expressed concern that a new mode of transport in Derby does not require a licence.

The rickshaw service was given a private hire licence by the city council – but it has now emerged it did not need one.

Councillor Margaret Redfern, chairman of the  council's licensing committee, said the matter raised questions about public safety.

The authority says it issued the licence as a measure to protect passengers and to prevent rogue companies from setting up similar ventures.

Lee Todd, of Sawley, was given the private hire licence by the council to run the pedal-powered rickshaw between the city’s Cathedral Quarter and Westfield shopping centre.

But Derby City Council has now confirmed that the rickshaw did not need the licence as, by law, only motorised vehicles require them.

Mrs Redfern said: “Public safety must be  the first priority. By not having a licence there are no checks to ensure the vehicle is fit for use. Knowing that a service is licensed gives members of public reassurance that it is safe.”    

Mr Todd, who was not operating his service in the city on Saturday, was unavailable for comment.

The council is now reviewing the situation and is looking into whether Mr Todd’s business needs to be licensed, or other regulations imposed, to ensure health and safety issues are adhered to.

A spokeswoman for the council confirmed that it issued Mr Todd with a private hire licence knowing that unregulated rickshaws operate in other cities.

She said: “We licensed Mr Todd’s rickshaw as a prudent measure aimed at protecting the safety of the public.

“The council believes that public safety should not be compromised and so we will look at alternative options to accommodate rickshaws with some regulation in the city centre.”

The authority was forced to question whether it had properly applied licensing law after receiving questions from Mick Hildreth of the professional drivers’ branch of the GMB union.

He was told by the council that legal advice had been sought before the licence was issued.

He said: “The fact that legal advice had been taken, which subsequently had been proved to be wrong, should be of concern to all licensed drivers.”

Derby’s rickshaw is free to use and paid for through advertising sponsorship.

Under the terms of the licence, people must book trips at the Tourist Information Centre in the Market Place, at the Spot, as well as at Westfield. It cannot be hailed from the street.

The service has been running for a month and the information centre said it had taken about 10 bookings.