CORNWALL COUNCIL CHIEF BRANDS CORNWALLS TAXI ZONE SYSTEM "RIDICULOUS"

The leader of Cornwall Council has voiced his support for dezoning taxis in Cornwall calling the current system "ridiculous."

During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, May 6, local leaders debated whether to scrap Cornwall’s six separate taxi zones in favor of a single, countywide area.

The debate centres on a government recommendation to create one large licensing zone. Currently, taxis are restricted to picking up passengers within their specific zones.

Council leader Leigh Frost, who represents Bodmin, highlighted the absurdity of the current boundaries. He noted that a Bodmin taxi driver dropping someone at Bodmin Parkway station cannot legally pick up a return passenger because the station sits in a different zone. "That is ridiculous," Cllr Frost said, adding that he also finds the different price scales across the county unfair.

However, the plan has faced significant pushback. A public consultation revealed that 299 people wanted to keep the zones, while only 99 supported the merger.

Opponents, including many taxi drivers, fear that "dezoning" would see drivers abandon rural villages to chase busier trade in lucrative towns such as Falmouth and Newquay.

Cllr David Saunby warned that a single zone could even spark "taxi wars" between rival operators and questioned the point of a consultation if the council ignores the majority view.

Supporters of the change argue it would create a "level playing field" against apps such as Uber, whose drivers can already work across the whole county.

Cllr Thalia Marrington explained that removing the boundaries would stop drivers from having to drive back empty to their home zone after a drop-off. "Removing zones may remove the dead mileage for some drivers... This could reduce fuel waste and emissions, and potentially allow the driver to earn more too," she told the meeting.

Supporters also believe a single system would be simpler, fairer, more efficient and could shorten waiting times for passengers as well as enable a single fare tariff across Cornwall and give drivers more flexibility.

While some fear for rural services, council members were told that other English authorities who moved to a single zone did not see the long-term negative impacts that critics predicted.

Despite the push for change, the council’s scrutiny committee has strongly recommended keeping the existing zones, arguing that the government’s "one-size-fits-all" approach is better for cities than for a rural county like Cornwall.

Because a move to a single zone cannot be reversed once it is made, the cabinet voted to delay their final decision. This will allow for more detailed analysis of how it would affect fares and the specific concerns raised by local drivers.

As Cllr Dan Rogerson noted during the heated debate, a consultation is not a referendum but a way to gather evidence before making a final call on the future of Cornwall's transport.

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