Taxi from Essex for pupils at Cornwall school

Cornwall Council said it was not paying for the travel and accommodation of taxi drivers

Taxi drivers have travelled more than 300 miles (482km) to transport students to and from school in Cornwall.

Adam Paynter, a former leader of the council, said his three children had been transported by a taxi driver who had travelled from Essex to take them to a primary school near Launceston.

The driver was paid by the taxi company 24/7 Taxis, and was staying at a hotel in Devon in the interim, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Cornwall Council said it was a temporary measure, and that it was not paying for the temporary relocation of taxi staff or for their travel and accommodation.

School children living in rural areas used to be picked up by a council-funded mini-bus, but transport has now been replaced by taxis.

Mr Paynter, deputy group leader of the Independent group at Cornwall Council and member for Launceston North and North Petherwin, said the situation was a "complete waste of money".

He said: "He’s just doing the pick-ups and drop-offs either end of the day for three kids... and he lives in Essex, and he’ll drive back on Friday afternoon.

"You wonder what he’s going to do for the other ten hours of the day, can you believe it?”

Short-term measure

The council said 24/7 Taxis, known for specialising in school transport, had now been established in Cornwall and was in the process of employing drivers locally.

A spokesperson said: “The demand for school transport is growing and, until now, we have not had enough taxi companies to cater for this need – about 30 transport routes for around 60 to 70 students.

“As the company is in the process of establishing itself, it is temporarily supplementing the local workforce with drivers from other areas of their business.

"Cornwall Council is not paying for the temporary relocation of staff, the cost of their travel to and from Cornwall or their accommodation.

"It is very much a short-term measure while more drivers come through the required checks and processes before they can start work.

"The fact that the company is able to do this is a positive of working with a supplier with resource available nationally which can be utilised at a local level where needed."