Posted on the 1st May 2026 in PHTM News

CORNWALL'S SINGLE TAXI ZONE DECISION TO BE MADE

Cornwall’s cabinet members will meet next week to decide a high-stakes battle over how taxi drivers operate across the county.

The Liberal Democrat and Independent coalition must choose whether to keep the current six separate taxi zones or scrap them to create one massive countywide licensing area, following government advice.

While the government suggests a single zone is “best practice,” many local drivers and councillors fear it would be a “disaster” for Cornwall’s unique geography.

Critics argue that drivers would abandon quiet rural villages to chase bigger profits in “honeypot” towns such as Falmouth and Newquay, leading to higher fares and a lack of transport for country residents.

The council ran a public consultation from September 28 to December 31 last year asking for comments on the taxi review. More than half of those who took part were taxi or private hire drivers and almost three-quarters of respondents were against the removal of the separate zones.

The council’s own scrutiny committee has already urged the cabinet to reject the plan and strongly recommended retaining the existing taxi zones, arguing that national rules are often too focused on big cities.

The committee also felt that moving from six areas to one would have a negative impact on most businesses and members were not convinced de-zoning will offer increased service to customers.

Cllr Loveday Jenkin warned: “I’m afraid the government guidance - like a lot of government guidance - comes from an urban-centric perspective and doesn’t look at the reality of the geography of Cornwall, in particular the rural areas.”

She added, “I think it would really be a mistake to abolish taxi zones and make a Cornwall-wide zone.” Local drivers also fear that a single zone would lead to chaos at already crowded ranks.

Cllr David Saunby Cllr said he had spoken to a number of taxi drivers in his town and most were against the introduction of a single zone. He cautioned that the change could cause a “free for all,” potentially resulting in “taxi wars which nobody wants to see.”

He noted that “the ranks in Falmouth are already full to capacity and cannot cope with anymore taxis coming in from other areas.”

If the cabinet ignores these warnings and votes for the single zone, the new rules would begin in February 2027.

The final decision is expected at County Hall in Truro on Wednesday morning, 6 May.


Read another story