Three people were hospitalised after a rickshaw collided with a bus in London's West End early this morning. The crash occurred at 1:07am at the junction of Charing Cross Road and Phoenix Street.
Emergency services deployed a major response including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic and a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance. One person was rushed to a major trauma centre while two others were taken to local hospitals.
A London Air Ambulance spokesperson said: "We were called at 1.07am today (25 August) to reports of a road traffic collision at the junction of Charing Cross Road and Phoenix Street. We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer."
Details of the collision
The bus involved was an N19 route service to Clapham Junction, which suffered damage to its front section, according to Metro. The rickshaw was decorated with lights and pink feathers, typical of the tourist vehicles operating in the West End area.
Harrowing images from the scene showed the rickshaw's neon lights still glowing as police officers gathered around the wrecked vehicle on the otherwise deserted street.
Safety concerns highlighted
The incident occurs amid ongoing efforts to regulate pedicab operations in central London. Westminster Council has issued fines totalling over £20,000 to pedicab operators in recent enforcement action, the Daily Mail reports.
Transport for London launched an official consultation on pedicab safety measures on 27 January this year, as authorities seek to address safety concerns about the largely unregulated tourist transport industry.
Sources used: "The Mirror", "Metro", "Daily Mail"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
