'Rickshaw collides with bus' in London's busy West End as three hospitalised

Three people have been hospitalised after a crash involving a rickshaw and a bus in Central London. The horror crash happened just after 1am this morning at the junction of Phoenix Street and Charing Cross Road in the West End.

Among the large emergency response were ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic and a trauma unit from London's Air Ambulance. Harrowing pictures show the neon lights of the rickshaw continuing to glow as police officers gather around the wrecked vehicle. London Air Ambulance confirmed one of the individuals was rushed to a major trauma centre while the other two were taken to hospitals nearby.

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A spokesperson for the service added: "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. We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London's Air Ambulance.

"We treated three people. We took one patient to a major trauma centre and two patients to local hospitals." The Mirror has reached out to the Metropolitan Police for further comment.

It comes amid heightened concerns over the safety of rickshaws, which are officially known as pedicabs. Transport for London is said to be going ahead with regulation efforts after a consultation showed the public was largely in favour of it.

In recent year, rickshaws - which are a common form of cut-price public transport in others parts of the world - have been popping up all over the capital, and are most common in areas with a large amount of tourists.

The "party cycle rickshaws" - which are known for playing loud music- are a particular concern. TfL plans to roll out regulation to ensure proper driving, maintenance and operation of the vehicles, reports The Guardian.