What Could a Unified Taxi Tariff Look Like for Cornwall?
The Case for a Clear and Balanced Unified Hackney Carriage Tariff
The Challenge of Unifying Diverse Tariffs
Unifying hackney carriage tariffs across Cornwall presents a significant challenge. The six historic licensing zones—Restormel, Carrick, North Cornwall, Caradon, Kerrier, and Penwith—developed their fare structures independently over many years. As a result, they differ not only in price levels, but in how fares are constructed, measured, and applied.
These differences include:
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varying distance units (yards, fractions of a mile, tenths),
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differing numbers and timings of tariffs,
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inconsistent passenger charging rules,
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and differing approaches to meter calibration and supplements.
True unification therefore requires more than selecting a single set of prices. It requires a coherent and intelligible tariff framework that can operate consistently across the whole county.
Why a Structural, Not Extremes-Based, Approach Is Required
Adopting the highest existing tariff as a county-wide standard would unfairly penalise passengers in areas where operating costs and demand have historically been lower. This risks suppressing usage and placing unnecessary financial pressure on local communities.
Equally, adopting the lowest existing tariff would fail to recognise the genuine costs of operating in higher-demand or higher-risk periods, potentially undermining driver viability and service availability.
The proposed unified tariff avoids both extremes. Instead of copying any one zone, it introduces a single, rational structure that reflects real operating conditions across Cornwall.
A Unified Structure Based on Clarity and Consistency
The proposed tariff is built around a clear and consistent model:
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a single base meter rate per tariff,
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distance measured in half miles and tenths of a mile,
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transparent per-passenger supplements,
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and three clearly defined tariffs aligned with actual operating conditions.
This structure removes historical anomalies while ensuring that fares remain understandable, enforceable, and predictable for passengers and drivers alike.
How the Fare Levels Have Been Determined
The specific fare levels in the proposed table have been carefully set by reviewing the full range of existing tariffs across all six zones and identifying reasonable mid-range positions, rather than mathematical extremes.
In particular:
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Base fares and distance rates sit within the central range of current Cornwall tariffs and are rounded to support accurate meter programming and public understanding.
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Night-time, Sunday, and holiday rates are clearly defined and proportionate, reflecting genuine increases in operating cost and demand.
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High-cost festive periods are consolidated into a single tariff that fully recognises exceptional operating conditions without unnecessary fragmentation.
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Additional passengers are charged through a transparent supplement, ensuring that larger vehicles are fairly compensated based on actual usage rather than vehicle type.
This approach ensures that no single area is disproportionately advantaged or disadvantaged by the move to unification.
A Fair Outcome for Passengers and Drivers
The proposed unified tariff:
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avoids sudden price shocks in any part of Cornwall,
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protects passengers from arbitrary or opaque pricing,
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supports sustainable earnings for drivers,
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and significantly reduces complexity for enforcement and compliance.
By focusing on clarity, consistency, and real-world conditions, the tariff provides a stable foundation for the future of hackney carriage services in Cornwall.
Treatment of Pre-Bookings and the Role of a Discretionary Booking Fee
A further important element of the proposed unified tariff is the inclusion of a clearly defined discretionary booking fee, capped at £30, applicable to pre-booked work only and subject to agreement with the hirer at the time of booking.
Historically, hackney carriage tariffs have struggled to accommodate pre-booked journeys within a framework designed primarily for rank and hail work. This has created a long-standing structural problem, particularly where hackney carriage vehicles undertake work that is operationally similar to private hire.
Pre-booked journeys often involve:
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vehicle positioning without a passenger,
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fixed appointment times requiring early arrival,
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reduced flexibility to accept alternative work,
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and a higher risk of late cancellation or non-attendance.
These factors impose real and unavoidable costs on drivers that are not reflected in meter-only charging.
The inclusion of a discretionary booking fee directly addresses this legacy issue by allowing those additional costs to be recovered transparently and only where applicable, without distorting the core metered fare for rank and hail passengers.
Setting the maximum booking fee at £30 establishes a figure that is:
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sufficiently realistic to reflect the genuine costs and risks associated with pre-booked work,
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flexible, as it is a maximum rather than a fixed charge,
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and proportionate, as it must be agreed in advance with the passenger.
A significantly lower maximum would fail to address the underlying issue and would not provide a viable mechanism for hackney carriage operators to sustainably undertake pre-booked work, particularly in rural areas or during peak demand periods.
By explicitly recognising pre-booking costs within the unified tariff, the proposal supports the long-term viability of hackney carriage services while maintaining fairness and transparency for passengers.
Conclusion
The proposed unified Hackney Carriage tariff is not a political compromise or a simple averaging exercise. It is a carefully designed framework that replaces inherited complexity with a single, transparent system.
By adopting this approach, Cornwall Council can deliver a genuinely unified taxi service that is fair to passengers, workable for drivers, and efficient to administer—supporting long-term sustainability across the county.
Proposed Table of Fares Solution
Table of Fares