Taxi zones with different tariffs may be scrapped

Six taxis zones in Cornwall which charge different tariffs could be scrapped.

Cornwall Council's community wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee may recommend approving a single licensed zone to cover the whole of the county at a council cabinet meeting on Thursday - meaning passengers will pay the same amounts wherever they are.

Some taxi drivers previously said plans for a single zone would lead to a "free for all" at the expense of rural areas and would result in higher fares.

A public consultation was held last year and almost three-quarters of respondents were against the removal of the separate zones, Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The consultation ran from 28 September to 31 December and more than half of respondents were taxi or private hire drivers.

In January 2026, the number of taxi licences in force were 166 in north Cornwall, 104 Caradon, 188 Restormel, 320 Carrick ,134 Kerrier and 130 Penwith.

Steven Witchell, from the Newquay Taxi Forum, which represents the taxi trade in the town, said many responses from the public consultation raised concerns about taxis gravitating towards busier towns, reduced availability and seasonal income disruption.

"The report recognises these concerns but also acknowledges that mitigations options are limited if zones are removed," he said.

"If de-zoning proceeds, there must be clarity around tariff structure and booking fees."

Under current rules, taxis licensed in one zone cannot pick up passengers in another zone, and fare tariffs are different in each area.

The Department for Transport stated in November 2023 that it recommended the abolition of taxi zones.

"It can be confusing and frustrating for people wishing to hire a taxi to find that a vehicle licensed by the relevant authority is nonetheless unable to pick them up (unless pre-booked) because they are in the wrong part of the authority's area," it said.

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